[Verse 1]
The boy only wanting to give mother something
And all of her roses had bloomed
Looking at him as he came rushing in with them
Knowing her roses were doomed
All she could see were some thorns buried deep
And tears that he cried as she tended his wounds

[Chorus]
And she knew it was love
It was one she could understand
He was showing his love
And that's how he hurt his hands

[Verse 2]
He still remembers that night as a child
On his mother's knee
She held him close and she opened her Bible
And quietly started to read
Then seeing a picture of Jesus he cried out
"Mama, He's got some scars just like me"

[Chorus]
And he knew it was love
It was one he could understand
He was showing his love
And that's how he hurt his hands
[Verse 3]
Now the boy's grown and moved out on his own
When Uncle Sam comes along
A foreign affair but our young men were there
And luck had his number drawn
It wasn't that long 'til our hero was gone
He gave to a friend what he'd learned from the cross

[Chorus]
But they knew it was love
It was one they could understand
He was showing his love
And that's how he hurt his hands
It was one they could understand
He was showing his love
And that's how he hurt his hands