Old Man Tell Me

By: david allan coe And buzz rabin I've seen the old man sitting' 'round The courthouse square back home in town Talkin' about the big war back in 1943 Saying' how much good it's done Medals gleaming' in the sun Cussing' at my long hair And my talk of being' free Their vision like their battle scars Of other wars has faded Like the colors on the ribbons From the battles that they've won If there's one thing i've learned it's this You just can't shake hand with a fist And i once did my talkin' with a gun And, old man, i know what you've seen But yours is not the only dream I have to believe in something more than yesterday Let it die just like the past I believe there's hope at last Old man, did you ever have to pray Old man, can you show me the way He shakes his head from time to time And rambles somewhere in his mind Mumbling' 'bout the civil war And how we should have won Setting' up his battle plans On checker boards at his command Watching' all his gallant kings go fallen' one by one And "son," he'd say, "there's not much time For you to straighten out your mind But you never listen to the things i try to say" And i just turn my head and cry Never understanding why He'd set up that checker board When he knew i couldn't play