Alex was my first best friend "Gonna see the world," is what he always said And I begged him, "Take me with you" Alex played guitar and I sang We were gonna be in a rock 'n roll band Dreaming was the only way out Small town and alcohol Our parents sold their goddam souls And we were so angry A single tear from his blue eye As he looked at me and he said goodbye I promised I would never forget Alex said to his dad, "If you ever lay your hands on my mom again, I swear I will kill you, man" Alex came home through the kitchen door Found his mom lying on the floor Then he grabbed that knife His lawyer claimed self-defense But Alex never showed any signs of regret So the judge he said "life" A single tear from his blue eye As he looked at me and he said goodbye I promised I would never forget How we used to ride our bikes down to the lake Write songs about the love we'd make Watch the fire burn deep against the cold We promised right then to never grow old The way the starlight how it hit the waves Just like diamonds shining in a miner's cave We danced naked with no regrets I promised I would never forget