I was young when you left home
You never bothered to write or even call us on the telephone
You left all your records some old shirts and a pair of Levis
We had to sell all that to buy the car a new set of tires
Mama never did like those country songs you know
And when we sold those records
I remember all your favorites were the first to go
The Low Down Blues and that Blue Kentucky Moon
We used to laugh as you tried to sing along out of tune
With a High Life can always in your hand
You closed your eyes and fell asleep listening to the Angel Band
I always said I'd never be fooled again
And I sure don't believe much coming from the mouths of men
But when Hank Williams cries and bill Monroe hits those high notes I know
In our darkest hour there's still a light shining down inside
I can still see that porch light shining down on you
Running out at night after a big old fight was something we got used to
The screen door slam and the engine running rough
Mama went back to doing the dishes and tried to call your bluff
But I could see the tears in her eyes,
When she tucked us in and tried to tell us everything was gonna be fine
Me and my sister looked out the front window at the highway every night
Hoping we'd see your old car come riding back into sight
But I've been waiting much too long for a man that don't know what he's got until it's gone
His head so high up in the clouds he can't feel the earth he's standing on
I go up to the lake to see you every once in a while
The days and weeks they turn into years and still leave you so unsatisfied
You smoke your cigarettes and watch that big screen TV
I know it ain't the kind of life you thought you'd be living
You always got some excuse about how you let us down
When you took off driving that night and kept going from town to town
They say a man like you has got the highway in his blood
But I think that's just a nice way of saying you never really learned how to love
When this mean old world leaves us a little far behind
You start to sing that old road song and it kinda helps to ease my mind