Oh Lord if I could just go home I'd do things different from now on There wouldn't be near the gray in my ole daddy's hair Oh Lord if I could just go home I know it wasn't daddy's fault that mama died when I was just a kid And the very best he could do to raise me right was all he ever did Now I never stopped to think that he'd loved her a lot longer than I had And he was every bit as alone And I don't guess I'd helped him very much to build a happy home He made sure I got to church every Sunday just like mama had always done And I could tell that he was sorry he had to work so hard And we never had much time for fun He knew I missed mama a lot And maybe he was easier on me than he should've been But it sure ain't his fault that I didn't turn out to be much of a man
Well I've grew on into my teens and I guess I thought I was real hot stuff Goin' into town and hangin' around bars and actin' pretty tough Well you know I'm lookin' out at a different set of bars now And that little window don't let it much light You see I got roarin' drinkin' mad one night and I k**ed a man in a fight Well I got a letter from back home the other day sayin' daddy'd had a stroke And he ain't doin' too good and I guess if I'd of done right I'd be there to help him and God you know I would I'd pay him back for all the years of love that he gave me And I'd try so hard to be a better man the way he always taught me to be Oh Lord if I could just go home