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 freezin' rain and spittin' 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?â€Â
He said
‽I just crawled out of a cottonwood tree
I was runnin' from some honey bees
Drip dryin' in the summer breeze
After jumpin' into calico creekâ€Â
‽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 homeâ€Â
And he said, ‽I was just comin' 'round the barn
'Bout the time you grabbed my arm
And I heard mama holler, ‽Son, hurry upâ€Â
And I was close enough for my own nose
To smell fresh cobbler on the stoveâ€Â
"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 beenâ€Â
"Yeah, I just climbed out of a cottonwood tree
I was runnin' from some honey bees
Drip dryin' in the summer breeze
After jumpin' into calico tree"
"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, you're gonna freeze to death
Let me drive you to the missionâ€Â
He said, ‽Boy, if you'd left me alone right now I'd be fishin'â€Â
"I just climbed out of a cottonwood tree
I was runnin' from some honey bees
Drip dryin' in the summer breeze
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 [unverified]
I was almost home, I was almost home"