For the longest time, I guess I thought
He didn't give a damn
Hard to read, hard to please
Yeah, that was my old manOn the day I left for college
It was nothing new
We never had that heart-to-heart
He had too much to doHe checked the air in my tires
The belts and all the spark plug wires
Said, "When the hell's the last time
You had this oil changed?"And as I pulled out the drive
He said, "Be sure and call your mom sometime"
And I didn't hear it then but I hear it now
He was saying, "I love you"
The only way he knew how120, 000 miles
Six years down the road
A brand new life and a brand new wife
We'd just bought our first homeWhen he finally came to visit
I thought he'd be so proud
He never said he liked the place
He just got his tool belt outAnd put new locks on the doors
Went back and forth to the hardware store
Said, "Come and hold this flashlight"
As he crawled beneath the sinkAnd these old wires ain't up to code
And that circuit box is gonna overload
And I didn't hear it then but I hear it now
He was saying, "I love you"
The only way he knew howLast Sunday, we all gathered
For his 65th birthday
And I knew he'd stiffen up
But I hugged him anywayWhen it was finally time to say goodbye
I knew what was next
Just like he always does
Right before we leftHe checked the air in my tires
The belts and all the spark plug wires
Said, "When the hell's the last time
You had this oil changed?"And as I pulled out the drive
He said, "Be sure and call your mom sometime"
And I didn't hear it then but I hear it now
He was saying, "I love you"
He was saying, "I love you"
The only way he knew how