I met an old man one night in a bar
sitting alone, the way men his age always are
movements were slow, didn't speak very well
but every old man has a story to tell
every old man has a story to tell

he lived by the book, went to church every day
his wife left him young with two daughters and bills to pay
he worked himself hard and the years flickered past
his girls kept him young, but they grew up so fast
his girls kept him young, but they grew up so fast

prodigal faith, always felt second best
she turned seventeen, took her coat and her camera, and headed west
broke her dads heart, but as he likes to say
with enough time apart even faith fades away
with enough time apart even faith fades away

Jenny met Ray in his last days ashore
they married in May, and by August he joined the war
said Jenny don't cry, I'll be home in the fall
so she held her head high and said nothing at all
she held her head high and said nothing at all

and then he got in a plane, took it up in the air,
it never came down, for all she knows its still flying around up there
and jenny went wrong, and the last thing I heard
its been seven years long, sense she uttered a word
seven years gone, sense she uttered a word

now her father just sits all alone at the bar
he orders his drinks and smokes cigarettes he knows he can't afford
he's got no regrets, says he's doing quite well
but every old man has a story to tell
every old man has a story to tell


Lyrics submitted by jphofmann

The Barfly song meanings
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