Me and Virgil - Genesis

Ma would never say what happened

And we knew better than push too hard

We knew we had all the chores to tend to

Like fixing fences and helping her

Washing dishes and making coffee

Me and Virgil'd chop some wood

But we'd stop our swinging

Just to listen to her crying

It didn't sound too good

I can remember, too well

But we never thought to pay much heed

We learned to live life the best we could

But then one day pa upped and left us

High and dry without a word

Seemed a pity

My ma was pretty

But I soon learned life ain't that way

And I can remember hearing her weeping

While we were sleeping next to her

I can remember

I'll never forgive and I'll never forget

Cos pa you broke her heart

Ooh pa you broke her heart

You broke her heart

Ooh pa you broke her heart

Well the years rolled by

And 'fore we knew it

Our sister got married and moved out west

I stayed with ma, cos I couldn't desert her

I knew it would hurt her to be alone

So we pulled tighter

We said we'd try to make things easy

And raise a smile

But as the night came

We'd hear her crying

Praying for pa to come back again

I can remember

I'll never forgive him and I'll never forget

Cos pa you broke her heart

Oh pa you broke her heart

And then the winter came

I'd never known it colder

Ooh it seemed the worst for years

And the night she died I swear I saw her smiling

Saying I was a big boy now, no tears

So I packed up all we had, and Virgil got the horses

And we paid our last respects and gave the whip a crack

Ooh, seemed a big bad world, we were riding into

Me and Virgil both agreed, we best head off

And don't look back

Nothing but desert all around

Oh it made me wonder

Lord it's hard to carry on

When you're sick with hunger

Weeks and months of sleeping rough

Keeping clear of danger

Seems we were miles from anywhere

And too far gone to change it

We'd best keep going, don't look back

Well me and Virgil we beat the desert

Riding fast and riding hard

We hit the city, the past behind us

So we raised some hell, we had some fun

But real soon I met a lady oh so pretty, and oh so fine

'fore too long I found myself married

With a home of my own and a blue eyed son

And 'til this day I can hear ma saying to me -

"You're a big boy now"