He was thinking when he was a kid His folks were divorced His old man high on something Came knocking at the door His mama wouldn't talk to him She said boy dontcha let him in
She was cussing and pacing wasting her life On that linoleum floor He took him back to his old apartment Turned off the TV His beautiful broken hero on the couch out asleep And he put 'em to bed With tears in his eyes He said dad I love you, Goodbye
He headed out into the night Seventeen years old Fired up that old pickup Turned his collar to the cold And he headed back to mama's place Ready for his big escape And he tiptoed up the stairs and left a note In the cover's fold
It said mom I wish I could wave a wand And make you smile Bring back the man who stole your heart 'fore the demons got to him If I stay here any Something sacreds gonna die He said mom I love you, Goodbye
Took a lot of wrong turns on the road Finding his life By the grace of God he ended up With a little boy and wife And the phone call came from his sister It was that old familiar pain His mother was at the doorstep Of heaven's pure white light
At the end the service His father came up to him Clear eyed and sober now he said Boy Jesus took my sins And I pray someday maybe you'll forgive me too With tears in his eyes He said son I love you, Goodbye
His plane touched down Texas He pulled out his phone Dialed in the number, got the machine Of his old man's home He said dad we got an extra room And your grandson has your eyes Couldn't say anything else Cause started to cry And he choked out dad I love you, Goodbye