Daddy sits on the
front porch swinging,
looking out on a vacant field.
Used to be filled with burl at her back
and now he knows it never will.
Brother's found work in Indiana,
sister's a nurse at the
old folks home.
Mama's still cookin' too
much for sufferin' me
I've been a long time gone
Yeah, a long time gone
Ain't holdin' a roll since
I don't know when
Long time gone
And it ain't comin' back again
Now, Delia plays that
old church piano
Sittin' out on her daddy's farm
She always thought we'd be together
Lord, I never meant to do her harm
She said she could hear me
singin' in the choir
Me, I heard another song
I got wind and hit the road runnin'
Lord, I been a long time gone
Been a long time gone
I ain't had a prayer since I don't go in
Long time gone
And it ain't comin' back again
Now me, I went to Nashville
tryin' to be the big deal
Playin' down on Broadway,
gettin' down the highway
Livin' from a tip jar,
sleepin' in my car
Rockin' my guitar, yeah,
I'm gonna be a star
Now me and dear,
we sing every Sunday
Watchin' the garden and
the children grow
We listen to the radio to
hear what's cookin'
But the music ain't got no soul, no
They sound tired,
but they don't sound haggard
They got money,
but they don't have cash
They got Junior, but they don't have Hank
I think, I think, I think
The rest is a long time gone
No, I ain't hopped a horn
since I don't know when
Long time gone
And it ain't comin' back again
Long time gone
No, I ain't hopped a horn
since I don't know when
Long time gone
And it ain't comin' back
again
It's a long time, long time,
long time gone
Lord, it's been a long time
It's been a long time, long time,
long time gone
Lord, it's been a long time
It's a long time, long time,
long time gone