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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, better late than never, don't ya think.
He said I read it in the paper, can't believe you're 21,
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, its too late
You had to be there, and I'm talkin from from day one.
Thats the only time a man should talk through glass to his new son
And 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 whoopped 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.
Its about a teenage girl against the world who was left there high and dry
About a kid who might have stood a whole lot better shot at life, but
You Had To Be There
And I'm talking from day one,
Thats the only time a man 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
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
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, better late than never, don't ya think.
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, its too late
Thats the only time a man should talk through glass to his new son
And 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 whoopped 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 boy said dry it up man, we ain't making this about you.
Its about a teenage girl against the world who was left there high and dry
About a kid who might have stood a whole lot better shot at life, but
You Had To Be There
And I'm talking from day one,
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
Sometimes the will for doing wrong is way too strong for any mama's prayer
You had to be there.
And it hit the man, right there and then
My god son, so am I
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This song is about a 21 year old boy who grew up with only his mother and is now in jail and his father for the first time comes to see him. His father tells him that he's sorry that he hates him the way he does and the boy tells him this isn't about you this is about my mother who had to deal with raising a child by herself as a teenager and a "kid who might have stood a whole lot better shot at life" if only he had been there for him and taught him how to fish and throw a ball but instead he was out learning how to smoke because his mother prayers weren't enough to keep him from doing wrong. His mom had to work all the time in order to support the two of them so she wasn't there to stop him and he tells him that if he had been there to whoop him once or twice he would have understood the difference between right and wrong. The boy pretty much tells him its too late to come in and save the day because he has already done something really bad and he is in jail for it.
you had to be there is a song about a boy who discovers his dad in prison and its his first time to meet his dad and they talk about how the dad made a big impact on the boys life so because the dad wasn't there for the boy he couldn't be a normal kid
I can't believe anyone could misconstrue who is incarcerated. I've even gone on youtube and saw many of the same misconceptions. It's almost laughably to think one would think that this story could be about either being incarcerated! Just read the lyrics! Come on people it's as plain as day!!!! Bless you all!!!