Capo 2
 
Intro: 
D Asus4 G D

D                             Asus4
He was thinkin' back when he was a kid
     G              D
His folks were divorced
 D             Asus4
 His old man high on somethin'
 D                     G
 Came knockin' at the door
Em 
His mama wouldn't talk to him
 Em9
She said, "Boy, don't you let him in"
 Em               Em9
She was cussin' and pacin'
 G                                      D Asus4 G D
And wastin' her life at that linoleum floor
 
D                        Asus4  
He took him back to his old apartment
      G         D
Turned off the TV
D                 Asus4
His beautiful broken hero on the couch
 G              D
Passed out asleep
 
Em            
And he put him to bed
               Em9
With tears in his eyes
 Em (strum once)                  D Asus4 G D                        
He said, "Dad, I love you, goodbye"
 
(just repeats throughout the song)

He headed out into the night
 
Seventeen years old
 
Fired up that rusty old pickup
 
Turned his collar to the cold
 

And he headed back to Mama's place
 
Ready for his big escape
 
And he tiptoed up the stairs
 
And left a note in the cover's fold
 

It said, "Mom, I wish I could wave a wand
 
And make you smile again
 
Bring back the man who stole your heart
 
'Fore the demons got to him"
 

"If I stay here any longer
 
Somethin' sacred's gonna die"
 
He said, "Mom, I love you, goodbye"
 

Took a lot of wrong turns
 
On the road findin' his life
 
By the grace of God he ended up
 
With a boy and a wife
 

And the phone call came from his sister
 
'Twas that old familiar pain
 
His mother was at the doorstep
 
Of Heaven's pure white light
 

At the end of the service
 
His father came up to him
 
Clear eyed and sober now
 
He said, "Boy, Jesus took my sins"
 

"And I pray someday
 
Maybe you'll forgive me too"
 
With tears in his eyes
 
He said, "Son, I love you, goodbye"
 

His plane touched down in Texas
 
He pulled out his phone
 
Dialed in the number
 
Got the machine of his old man's home
 

He said, "Dad we got an extra room
 
And your grandson has your eyes"
 
Couldn't say anything else
 
'Cause he started to cry
 

And he choked out
 Em       Em9         G      (strum once)
"Dad, I love you, goodbye
 Em       Em9         G
Dad, I love you, goodbye"

outro:

D Asus4 G D