born in the heat of the desert my mother died giving me life deprived of the love of a father blamed for the loss of his wife you know lord i ve been in a prison for something that i never done it s been one hill after another i ve climbed them all one by one ooh this time lord you gave me a mountain a mountain i may never climb it isn t a hill any longer you gave me a mountain this time my woman got tired of the heartaches tired of the grief and the strife so tired of working for nothing just tired of being my wife she took my one ray of sunshine she took my pride and my joy she took my reason for living she took my small baby boy ooh this time lord you gave me a mountain a mountain i may never climb it isn t a hill any longer you gave me a mountain this time you gave me a mountain this time ooooh