Ma would never say what happened
and we knew better than push too hard
we knew we had all the chores to tend to
like fixing fences and helping her
washing dishes and making coffee
me and virgil'd chop some wood
but we'd stop our swinging
just to listen to her crying
it didn't sound too good
i can remember, too well
but we never thought to pay much heed
we learned to live life the best we could
but then one day pa upped and left us
high and dry without a word
seemed a pity
my ma was pretty
but i soon learned life ain't that way
and i can remember hearing her weeping
while we were sleeping next to her
i can remember
i'll never forgive and i'll never forget
cos pa you broke her heart
ooh pa you broke her heart
you broke her heart
ooh pa you broke her heart
well the years rolled by
and 'fore we knew it
our sister got married and moved out west
i stayed with ma, cos i couldn't desert her
i knew it would hurt her to be alone
so we pulled tighter
we said we'd try to make things easy
and raise a smile
but as the night came
we'd hear her crying
praying for pa to come back again
i can remember
i'll never forgive him and i'll never forget
cos pa you broke her heart
oh pa you broke her heart
and then the winter came
i'd never known it colder
ooh it seemed the worst for years
and the night she died i swear i saw her smiling
saying i was a big boy now, no tears
so i packed up all we had, and virgil got the horses
and we paid our last respects and gave the whip a crack
ooh, seemed a big bad world, we were riding into
me and virgil both agreed, we best head off
and don't look back
nothing but desert all around
oh it made me wonder
lord it's hard to carry on
when you're sick with hunger
weeks and months of sleeping rough
keeping clear of danger
seems we were miles from anywhere
and too far gone to change it
we'd best keep going, don't look back
well me and virgil we beat the desert
riding fast and riding hard
we hit the city, the past behind us
so we raised some hell, we had some fun
but real soon i met a lady oh so pretty, and oh so fine
'fore too long i found myself married
with a home of my own and a blue eyed son
and 'til this day i can hear ma saying to me -
"you're a big boy now"