Daddy played guitar in a bluegrass band
He made his living on the DOT
Faded star upon his wrist
He come out of Huntsville back in '86
And he just waved bye-bye like he was some ordinary guy
Goddamn that man, but what he told me sticks
We've gotta cross that river in a black dog wind
I lost myself in the jack-knife daylight
I sang "Rock of Ages" 'til I was cross-eyed
The night seemed so endless, and I fought with the sunshine
Mama begged me to wait for the right time
Oh, I just waved bye-bye—I was waiting to fly
Goddamn that man, but what he told me sticks
We've gotta cross that river in a black dog wind
Rose of roses
Take my troubled mind
To the water
I grew stronger and I grew older
Only myself, and I had no other
The sun rose in my blood early one morning
And love was so simple, like a new day dawning
I waved bye-bye to that city of mine
I loved that man, but I'm not like him
Sometimes we cross that river in a black dog wind