Submit Corrections Cancel • • • D He sat down, picked up the phone Bm And said, "Boy, I'm your old man" A He touched the glass between the two Bm As if to shake his hand D The boy, he didn't budge Bm Not even so much as a blink A The man said, "Oh, come on Bm A Better late than never, don't you think?" D He said, "I read it in the paper Bm Can't believe you're 21 A Can't believe some son of mine Bm Could do the things I hear you've done" D He went on like some big hero Bm Who flew in to save the day A And the boy said, "If you're here Bm A To steer me right, man, it's too late" D "You had to be there A And I'm talkin' from day one Bm A That's the only time a man should talk G A Through glass to his new son" D "And you'd have to go back A And teach me how when I was nine Bm A 'Cause my mama couldn't throw a ball G A Even if she had the time" Em "And I should have been learnin' how to fish F#m Instead of learnin' how to smoke G I bet if you'd have whooped my tail F#m I'd never thought it was a joke" Em He said, "Sometimes the will F#m For doin' wrong is way too strong A For any Mama's prayers D You had to be there" D The man said, "Boy, I'm sorry Bm That you hate me like you do" A The boy said, "Dry it up, man Bm A We ain't makin' this about you" D "It's about a teenage girl against the world Bm Who was left there high and dry A About a kid who might have stood Bm A A whole lot better shot at life" D "You had to be there A And I'm talkin' from day one Bm A That's the only time a man should talk G A Through glass to his new son" D "And you'd have to go back A And teach me how when I was nine Bm A 'Cause my mama couldn't throw a ball G A Even if she had the time" Em "And I should have been learnin' how to fish F#m Instead of learnin' how to smoke G I bet if you'd have whooped my tail F#m I'd never thought it was a joke" Em He said, "Sometimes the will F#m For doin' wrong is way too strong A For any Mama's prayers D You had to be there" D Before the boy hung up the phone Bm He said, "They say I'm out of time" A And it hit the man right there and then Bm D "My God, son, so am I"