i walked in and sat down, ordered me a drink
tried to wash away the fool i'd been
i was drowning my regrets, trying to forget
the crazy things i'd said to you again
sitting there beside me was a grey haired older man
watching as i threw that double down
he said son don' t drink so fast, make that whiskey last
theres lessons to be learned just look around

chorus:
he said honky-tonks and heartaches
alcohol and bad breaks
they'll teach you things that you don't understand
a bar's a place to study
about love and life and money
and this old stool will humble any man
it might seem like the bitter end
from the outside looking in
but it's ok to live and learn the hardway
that's the school of honky-tonks and heartaches

i told him all about you and all about our fight
how everything i said just came out wrong
he just sat and listened to my convoluted wisdom
i knew i asn't fooling him at all
he said son you're mighty clever, you've got it figured out
but your common sense took a backseat to your pride
then all at once it hit me and it wasn't just the whiskey
a burning feeling told me he was right

repeat chorus

instrumental

a bar's a place to study
about love and life and money
and this old stool will humble any man
it might seem like the bitter end
from the outside looking in
but it's ok to live and learn the hardway
that's the school of honky-tonks and heartaches

sitting there beside me was a grey haired older man
watching as i threw that double down