Bostons

Old man, I heard some things about the boy you used to be

No father, no king, just a broken old man broken by the whiskey

Too afraid to stay, too smart to not leave

Too young to be a bird who forgot to sing

And a ground that never knew the knees

Of a boy and his own tale of two cities

Sometimes a man breaks, sometimes he can't bend

When his youth is a wound time won't mend

(Never the best, never the best of times)

Sometimes a man breaks, sometimes he can't bend

At the thought of peace as something only lent

(Only the worst, only the worst of mine)

Sometimes a man breaks, sometimes he can't bend

When his son is another one who won't understand

The Irish temper, it's history's chains

And the bottle's stain that just won't wash

That just won't wash, wash away

A seed was planted in the sod of nothingness from which you came

More flowers grew and roses bloomed

To form this garden of life you've made

And in this city you once knew as hell

Is a garden where I enjoy myself

And in this father I hardly know

This son who took back what the bottle stole

So I could be the boy you couldn't be

Have the father you didn't get to see

Have the youth you did not get to live

Or feel the love this world forgot to give

And for this gift I don't deserve to get

I'll make damn sure I earn this

Oh, your friends say Boston's beautiful

Oh, your friends say Boston's beautiful

But they didn't live here, they didn't die here

In the Hyde Park years

Oh, your friends say Boston's beautiful

Oh, your friends say Boston's beautiful

But they didn't live hard, they didn't die hard

When sons dragged out their fathers from bars

Oh, your friends say Boston's beautiful

Oh, your friends say Boston's beautiful

But they didn't dream here, they didn't scream here

When no one hears

Oh, your friends say Boston's beautiful

Oh, your friends say Boston's beautiful

But they didn't hide here, they didn't cry here

When boys weren't allowed to shed their tears

There just aren't enough men like you