Lyrics:

1989a
Writer(s): Paul Nelson, Gene Nelson

He climbs up on his John Deere
Shoves a plug of Redman in his jaw
His eyes stretch 'cross the valley
Way down to where they're putting up a mall

His baseball cap says Kansas
The Washington says how much he can grow
There's a bank note in his pocket
That says in 30 days they'll have his home

It's hard living in a broken heartland
It's enough to break a man and his beliefs
Lord give him strength to mend this broken heartland
'Cause he's living proof of a dying breed

His sons gone off to college
Learning skills that'll get him off the farm
And his wife just keeps it all inside
Still he finds his only comfort in her arms

And this tractors been his treasure
Oh, how could an auction measure its true worth
And every night he asks the Father
That he may never lose this mother earth

It's hard living in a broken heartland
It's enough to break a man and his beliefs
Lord give him strength to mend this broken heartland
'Cause he's living proof of a dying breed

Lord give him strength to mend this broken heartland
'Cause he's living proof of a dying breed.