I found an old man lying on the street, thought I'd do my good deed,
I wrapped my coat around him and gave him food to eat,
With laboured 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 alright.'

'Cause 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 fifteen years ago, that's when I took to the road,
I'm too crippled now to walk again, but I'll walk those streets of gold.'

'Cause 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.'

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 passed me by, but He led you here so I could say these words before I die.'

Yeah, 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.'

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 'cause this life's over fast,
We were built for glory, we were made to last.