A Father's Love (The Only Way He Knew How)

for the longest time

i guess i thought didn't give a damn hard to read

hard to please

yeah that was my old man on the day i left for college

it was nothing new

we never had that heart to heart we had too much to do

he checked the air in my tires

the belts and all the spark plug wires

and when the hills the last time

you have the sword change

and as i pulled out to drive

he said be sure and call your mom sometime

and i didn't hear it then but i hear it now

he was saying i love you the only way he knew how

a hundred twenty thousand miles

six years down the road

a brand new life a brand new wife

and we just bought our first home

when he finally came to visit

i thought he'd be so proud

he never said he liked the place he just got his tool

bailed out and put the locks on the doors

went back and forth to the highway store

said come and hold this flashlight

as it crawled beneath the sea

but these old wires ain't up to code

and that circuit patch is gonna overload

and i didn't hear it then but i hear it now

he was saying i love you the only way he knew how

last sunday we all gathered

for his sixty fifth birthday

and i knew he'd stiffen up but i hooked him

anyway it was finally time to say goodbye

i knew what was next just like he always does

right before we left

he checked the air in my tires

the belts and all the spark plug wires said

when the hell's the last time

you had the sword changed

and as i pulled out the drive

he said be sure and call your mom sometime

and i didn't hear it then but i hear it now

you were saying i love you

you were saying i love you

the only way he knew how