A young kid stepped in from the cold and he ordered up a drink
he said don't look surprised ole man i'm older than you think
if i was the talkin' kind i could tell you a thing or two
and since you didn't ask let me show you my tattoos
chorus:
he said i got this rose in memphis in some back old alley dump
picked this eagle up in dallas man i sure was good and drunk
and you know the way i see it if it gets any worse out there
a guy like me hasn't got a prayer
the old man poured some coffee and he said this one's on me
set down his cigarette and then rolled up his sleeve
said take a good look here my friend do you see what these are
just my ragged old and jagged ordinary scars
chorus:
he said i got this one in paris in the war before you were born
and this one when i was half your age workin' on my daddy's farm
and you know the way i see it son you ain't seen what i've seen
'cause tattoos and scars are different things
bridge:
he said i've been here for all these years and what i know is this
if you look and listen close a man will show you what he is
and you know the way i see it you've been around but you're still green
'cause tattoos and scars are different things