From the recording Three Words
A deeply personal song about a troubled relationship between a son and his father. The message is tender and uplifting, about understanding, forgiveness, and acceptance of the fathers who let us down.
Lyrics
My old man was a son of a bitch
But it really hit me like a ton of bricks the day
He passed away
His eyes were never looking for me
No words of kindness spoken toward me
The bottle always came before me
So why do I keep wishing for the chance to say
Three words
I never got to say
Though the only thing he taught me anything
Was to do it the opposite way
And now I sympathize
That he couldn’t look into his own son’s eyes
I guess he must’ve had a real hard life
My old man was a son of a bitch
And it’s too late now to try to fix yesterday
Oh yesterday
But I’d like another day beside him
In his jeep, him and me just drivin’
Windy trees, the sun is shining
And he looks at me and his eyes are smilin’
And then I’d say
Three words
I never got to say
Though the only thing he taught me
Was to do it the opposite way
And now I sympathize
That he couldn’t look into his own son’s eyes
I guess he must’ve had a real hard
Life
Is full of broken hearts
Is anyone to blame
Or is everyone just the same
We all want to hear . .
Three words
I never got to say
‘Cause I kept this grudge
Even on his dying day
And only now I realize
He was doing the best he could in life
Boy I wish I could go back in time
My old man was a son of bitch
But I wonder what he would’ve been like if he’d heard
Those three words
Those three words
Those three words