I was born in an American dream
Out of rich man's dirt and poor man's pain
You could get the good life if you believed enough
In your pink hotel or your pickup truck
My daddy worked hard for everything he got
Pushing Christmas trees in a parking lot
I did better trafficking in contraband
I made a little money but I watched it all slip through my hands
Now I'm living the good life
Sold all my records and my color TV
The rest of my stuff I gave away for free
The only thing I kept was my broke-down Ford
Plays "Johnny B. Good" on the radio
Now I'm living the good life
Sometimes I wake up glad to be alive
Other days I feel like I wanna die
Blue paint on the pavement underneath my feet
Won't somebody tell me just what it means
It means I'm living the good life
One of these days I'm gonna build me a boat
Ride the Mississippi River down to Mexico
You can tell my neighbors, tell my landlord
Tell any damn body that cares to know
I'm living the good life