Time for a Story

YOU HAD TO BE THERE

Written by: Kenneth Wright, Casey Beathard

Performed by: Tim McGraw

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,

That's 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 I'm out of time."

And it hit the man, right there and then

"Oh man Son, so am I"….