The Heartland

When my family left Kentucky
Headed north for any work that they could find
We lived on momma's country cooking
While we were getting used to the city life
Down at the foundry where my daddy worked
Lord, it was hotter than a flame
In all the years that he put in
I can't remember hearing him complain

I won't forget the school days
We never had to tell where we were from
As soon as we would say a word
They could hear Kentucky on our tongues
We took a lot of kidding
Looking back, I'd take it all again
'Cause the ones who laughed the loudest
Turned out to be my very closest friends

There's so much heart in the heartland
The spirit that has made us grow so strong
It's taken me some time, but now I understand
The people are the heart of the heartland
The people are the heart of the heartland

When I go back, it looks so different
The changes that have come to my hometown
The old hotel is gone now
We lost some real good men when it burned down
Here in front of my old high school
I remember how I couldn't wait to leave
But the treasures I went searching for
All along were right in front of me

There's so much heart in the heartland
The spirit that has made us grow so strong
It's taken me some time, but now I understand
The people are the heart of the heartland
The people are the heart of the heartland

There's so much heart in the heartland
The spirit that has made us grow so strong
It's taken me some time, but now I understand
The people are the heart of the heartland
The people are the heart of the heartland