open up the door, she's standin' there with the smile in her eyes but the grey in her hair betrays the fact you strayed far from home with your drinkin', your smokin', your whorin' around sit down by the fire, put your feet on the grate spend the night reminiscin' 'til the hour grows late always remember at the end of the day... you can always go home...you just can't stay. then it's off to the pub for to see your old mates ah, they all look older, but nothin' has changed and you drink 'til you're nearly out of your head "hey, what are yez all doin' snakin' off to bed?" then you're outside her flat but she's no longer there and the tears scald your eyes as you think of her hair in the photo they sent you of her wedding day you can always go home...you just can't stay. then you see her at ma** with the kids at her side and it all comes back in the blink of an eye the tears and the laughter, the love and the lies and that dress she wore the night you said goodbye then her husband says "it's good to have you back" and she smiles for a moment and squeezes your hand but you know what she's thinkin', she doesn't have to say
you can always go home...you just can't stay. and you swear to yourself time and time again it was all in the past, she don't mean anything now your life is full of laughter and bars what did you leave behind, just the sun...the moon...and the stars. then it's up in the mornin' at the crack of dawn with your stomach churnin', she says "c'mon now, sean, you'll be late for the plane," but that crack in her voice betrays the fact that you made your choice a long time ago, now there's no turnin' back cos last night you had your american wake and the bells are still ringin', can't you hear what they say you can always go home...you just can't stay. say goodbye say goodybe say goodbye, in the wind and the pourin' rain... one last drink one last drink one last drink at shannon airport, then you're outta here, history around here, catch you again next year... landin' at kennedy landin'at kennedy landin'at kennedy, all you feel is the pain, but it's too late, cos last night you had, you had, you had your american wake.