Almost Home

(album: A Thousand Winding Roads - 1990)

He had plastic bags wrapped around his shoes
He was covered with the evening news
Had a pair of old wool socks on his hands
The bank sign was flashin five below
It was freezing rain and spitting snow
He was curled up behind some garbage cans
I was afraid that he was dead I gave him a gentle shake
When he opened up his eyes I said old man are you okay
He said

I just crawled out of a cottonwood tree
I was runnin from some hunny bees
Drip dryin in the summer breaze after jumpin into Calico Creek
I was walkin down an old dirt road
Past a field of hay that had just been mowed
Man I wish you'd just left me alone
Cause I was almost home

And he said I was just comin round the barn
Bout the time you grabbed my arm
And I heard mama holler son hurry up
And I was close enough for my own nose to smell fresh cobbler on the stove
And I saw daddy loadin up the truck
Cane poles on the tailgate bobbers blowin in the wind
Since july of 55 that's as close as I've been

Yeah I just climbed out of a cottonwood tree
I was runnin from some hunny bees
Drip dryin in the summer breaze
After jumpin into Calico Creek
I was walkin down a old dirt
Past a field of hay that had just been mowed
Man I wish you'd just left me alone
I was almost home

I said old man your gonna freeze to death let me drive you to the mission
He said boy if you'd left me alone right now I'd be fishin

I just climbed out of a cottonwood tree
I was runnin from some hunny bees
Drip dryin in the summer breaze
After jumpin into Calico Creek
I was walkin down an old dirt road
Past a field of hay that had just been mowed
Man I wish you'd just left me alone

Man I wish you'd just left me alone
I was almost home
I was almost home