son said daddy, why'd you have to go and be so mean?
daddy said son, it's the way my daddy treated me
son said daddy, i don't understand
daddy said that's what keeps a boy from bein' a man
sometimes you just got to keep hush and let it be

son said daddy, did your daddy make you mow the grass?
daddy said son, if i didn't he'd whoop my ass
son said daddy, i don't understand
he said my daddy taught me how to raise a son and be a man
but he never taught me how to make love last
son said daddy, what do you mean?
and he said

lord, i'd give all that i own
if i could bring that damn woman home
but she ain't talked to me since i walked away
she got cold and i got the fear
she's a teacher now and i'm just sittin' here
sippin' on a beer in the middle of a sunny day

son said daddy, why do birds make nests in trees?
daddy said son, it's to keep away from the bees
son said daddy, i don't understand
daddy said son, one day maybe you can
but it don't make a goddamn lick of sense to me
son said daddy, what do you mean?
and he said

lord, i'd give all that i own
if i could bring that damn woman home
but she ain't talked to me since i walked away
she went nuts and shit got weird
but it beats the hell outta just sittin' here
sippin' on a beer in the middle of a sunny day

son said daddy, tell me somethin' i ain't heard before
daddy said son, imagine a knock on your door
and every time you hear it you go downstairs
to try and figure out who the hell is there
but no one ever is, so you just wave a fist and curse at the air
son said daddy, what do you mean?
and he said

lord, i'd give all that i own
if i could bring that damn woman home
but she ain't talked to me since i walked away
she went off and moved through the years
and i'm still hangin' round just a-sittin' here
sippin' on a beer in the middle of a sunny day