And the fights they had
He'd cover up his ears
Thought big boys don't cry
Fought back all the tearsMama'd use her make up
To hide the bruises on his face
In the morning they'd pretend
That there'd never ever been a traceHis old man woke him up
To help him find the car
Take the bus uptown
Outside some rundown barAnd swore that he was quittin'
And then he'd start to cry
And though the boy knew the truth
Sometimes he'd still believe that lieWhen the sins of the father
Are the sins of the son
All you do is crawl
When you wanna runAnd God gave boys their mamas
'Cause they always see their promise
And they help them understand
How to walk like a man, walk like a manThey moved a lot of places
They never settled down
It got pretty old
Being the new kid in townHe always told his friends
My daddy's sick today
Said he'd be rich if he had a nickel
Every time he heard his mama sayThe sins of the father
Are the sins of the son
Crawl before you walk, boy
Walk before you runCome on, stand up straight
I'm proud of you, take my hand
I know you can walk like a man
Walk like a manYour daddy's Demons are callin' your name
Don't you listen to 'em 'cause they've got no claim
Temptations may come that ain't no sin
You get stronger every time that you don't give inThe sins of the father
Are the sins of the son
You can't undo what has been done
You'll have to retrace his footsteps
Through the sandAnd pray you find the love of a girl
And take her by the hand
And walk on, walk like a man