Lyrics

I imagine I can see you
But I can’t see you at all
I am in the bedroom
And you are in the hall
I can see you in my mind’s eye
But tonight I find no joy
Because I’m seeing you as you were long ago
Little boy.

I guess it’s sometimes unavoidable
The dark place that we go
And what we hope to find there
I swear I just don’t know
These days I go there often
And sometimes I stay so long
I guess I’m trying to figure out the how’s and why’s of what went wrong

Was it something that I said?
Something that I didn’t do for you?
Was it something that you thought I should have known?
How I wish that I could see
Even though it’s very clear to me
How wonderful you are and how you’ve grown
But this is something that I can’t fix with a toy
Won’t you tell me what’s the matter
Little boy?

I imagine that I see you
When you were very small
I could hoist you on my shoulders
Like It was nothing at all
And though we never had much money
I know that we had so much fun
Do you remember those days
Little one?

Now I can see you with your own son
He’s perfect as can be
And he looks to you like I remember you looked up to me
And I hope you know you’ll make mistakes
Just like I did with you
It’s something that no father can avoid
And I pray you’ll know forgiveness and peace
Little boy.
I guess I’ll try to sleep now
And you’ll stay down the hall
Maybe all these things I’m feeling
Don’t matter much at all
But if I could travel back in time
I’d change things if I could
All the pain that’s there inside you I’d destroy
Maybe then I’d see you smile at me again
Little boy.