Built for Glory Made to Last
Lost Dogs Lyrics


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Found an old man lying on the street
Thought I′d do my good deed
I wrapped my coat around him and brought him food to eat
With labored breath he struggled
But his eyes held heaven's light
He whispered, "Young man, don′t feel bad for me
It'll all work out all right"
'Cos I was built for glory
I was made to last
God formed these feet to walk golden streets when this hard life is passed
Say, "He′s doing well on the other side" if anybody asks
Say I was built for glory
I was made to last

He said, "I′ve been a Texas Ranger
And I've been a railroad man
Lost two sons to consumption
I lost my money in a get-rich scam
Buried my wife 15 years ago
That′s when I took to the road
I'm too crippled now to walk again
But I′ll walk the streets of gold"

I asked, "What's your name?"
He shook his head
Said, "It don′t really matter
I'm just another poor soul out on the street whose reward's in the great hereafter
And Jesus been a friend of mine when all others pass me by
But He led you here so I could say these words before I die"

The old man held me by the hand and sighed his final breath
Now his spirit is in heaven while his body is at rest
Today I′m making it my mission to help others understand
We′re all fish out of water
Strangers in a foreign land

We were built for glory
We were made to last
God formed our feet to walk golden streets when this hard life is passed
It's time to make your peace with God ′cos this life's over fast




We were built for glory
We were made to last

Overall Meaning

The song "Built for Glory Made to Last" by Lost Dogs tells the story of an encounter between the singer and an old man lying on the street. The old man tells the singer about his life, including being a Texas Ranger and losing his wife and sons to various circumstances. Despite his hardships, he remains positive and confident that he will someday walk the streets of gold. The song ultimately encourages listeners to make peace with God and recognize that we are all strangers in a foreign land, made for glory and meant to last beyond this life.


The lyrics of this song are particularly poignant and inspiring, reminding listeners that even in the face of adversity, it is possible to remain hopeful and steadfast in our beliefs. The story of the old man's life serves as a reminder that we are all fighting our own battles, but that ultimately, we are all heading towards the same goal: our eternal home. The song encourages us to find comfort in the knowledge that we were made for something greater than this life and that we can find peace in our faith.


Line by Line Meaning

Found an old man lying on the street
While walking down the street, I found an elderly man lying on the ground.


Thought I'd do my good deed
I wanted to do something good for someone in need.


I wrapped my coat around him and brought him food to eat
To help him get warm and fed, I covered the man with my coat and gave him some food.


With labored breath he struggled
The man was having trouble breathing and was struggling to speak.


But his eyes held heaven's light
Despite his physical condition, the man's eyes had a spiritual radiance that suggested acceptance of his eventual fate.


He whispered, 'Young man, don't feel bad for me
The old man asked me not to feel sorry for him.


It'll all work out all right'
He assured me that everything would be okay.


'Cos I was built for glory
The old man believed that he was created to experience a divine existence.


I was made to last
He was convinced that he was immortal and had eternal life after passing away.


God formed these feet to walk golden streets when this hard life is passed
The old man thought that God created him to walk on streets made of gold after he dies.


Say, 'He's doing well on the other side' if anybody asks
If anyone inquires about the old man's well-being, tell them he's doing well in the afterlife.


Say I was built for glory
Ask people to tell others that the old man was created to experience a divine existence.


I was made to last
Tell people that the old man felt that he was immortal and had eternal life after passing away.


He said, 'I've been a Texas Ranger
The old man revealed that he had a past as a law enforcement officer in Texas.


And I've been a railroad man
He also had experience working for a railway.


Lost two sons to consumption
The old man had previously lost two of his children to a serious lung disease.


I lost my money in a get-rich scam
He had also lost his life savings to a fraudulent scheme promising wealth.


Buried my wife 15 years ago
Fifteen years before, he had experienced the death of his wife.


That's when I took to the road
Following her death, the man began traveling around the countryside.


I'm too crippled now to walk again
Due to worsening health, the old man was unable to walk anymore.


But I'll walk the streets of gold
Despite his physical inability to walk, the old man believed that he would eventually walk on golden streets in the afterlife.


I asked, 'What's your name?'
Out of curiosity, I asked the old man what his name was.


He shook his head
He declined to tell me his name.


Said, 'It don't really matter
He felt that his name was insignificant and had no bearing on his eternal destiny.


I'm just another poor soul out on the street whose reward's in the great hereafter
He didn't think that his current situation on the street defined who he was, and believed that his reward awaited him in the afterlife.


And Jesus been a friend of mine when all others pass me by
He had a personal connection with Jesus, who he saw as a true friend when nobody else would help him.


But He led you here so I could say these words before I die
The man believed that Jesus had specifically directed me to him so that he could impart his message to me before he passed away.


The old man held me by the hand and sighed his final breath
The old man took hold of my hand and passed away while sighing his last breath.


Now his spirit is in heaven while his body is at rest
His spirit ascended to heaven while his physical body was left behind.


Today I'm making it my mission to help others understand
Following this encounter, I decided to help others understand the importance of spirituality and the afterlife.


We're all fish out of water
We are all strangers in this world, whose true home is the afterlife.


Strangers in a foreign land
We are all aliens in this world and our destiny lies beyond it.


We were built for glory
As humans, we were designed to achieve a divine existence.


We were made to last
We are all immortal and destined to experience eternal life.


God formed our feet to walk golden streets when this hard life is passed
According to the old man, God created us all to walk on golden streets in the afterlife.


It's time to make your peace with God 'cos this life's over fast
The old man's message to others was to make peace with God, as life passes by quickly.


We were built for glory
As human beings, we were created to experience a divine existence.


We were made to last
We are all immortal and destined to have eternal life.




Writer(s): Terry Scott Taylor

Contributed by Ruby D. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
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