Kenny Rogers - You Had to Be There lyrics

He sat down, picked up the
Phone and said Boy, i'm your old man
He touched the glass between the two
As if to shake his hand
The boy he didn't budge
Not even so much as a blink
The man said oh come on
Boy, better late than never, don't ya think

He said I read it in the paper
Can't believe you're 21
And I can't believe some son of mine could
Do the things I hear you've done
He went on like some big hero
Who flew in to save the day
And the boy said if your here
To steer me right, man, it's too late

You had to be there
And I'm talkin' from from day one
That's the only time a dad should talk
Through glass to his new son
You'd have to go back
And teach me how when I was nine
'Cause my mama couldn't throw a ball
Even if she had the time

I should have been learning how to fish
Instead of learning how to smoke
I bet if you'd of whooped my tail
I'd never thought it was a joke
He said sometimes the will for doing wrong is
Way too strong for any mama's prayers
You had to be there

The man said, boy
I'm sorry that you hate me like you do
The boy said dry it up man
We ain't making this about you
It's about a teenage girl
Against the world cause
She was left there high and dry
It's about a kid who might have stood
A whole lot better shot at life

You had to be there
And I'm talkin' from from day one
That's the only time a dad should talk
Through glass to his new son
You'd have to go back and teach
Me how when I was nine
'Cause my mama couldn't throw a ball
Even if she had the time

I should have been learning how to fish
Instead of learning how to smoke
I bet if you'd of whooped my tail
I'd never thought it was a joke
He said sometimes the will for doing wrong is
Way too strong for any mama's prayer
You had to be there

Before the boy hung up the phone
He said they say me I'm out of time
And it hit the man, right there and then
My god son, so am I