The bank sign was flashing 5 below
It was freezing rain and spittin’ snow
He was curled up behind some garbage cans

I was afraid that he was dead
I gave him a gentle shake
When he opened up his eyes
I said, “Old man are you okay?”

He said, “I just climbed out of a cottonwood tree
I was runnin’ from some honey bees
Drip dryin’ in the summer breeze
After jumpin’ into Calico creek

I was walkin’ down an old dirt road
Past a field of hay that had just been mowed
Man, I wish you’d just left me alone
‘Cause I was almost home”

Then he said, “I was just comin’ ’round the barn
‘Bout the time you grabbed my arm
When I heard Momma holler, “Son, hurry up”

I was close enough for my own nose
To smell fresh cobbler on the stove
And I saw daddy loadin’ up the truck

Cane poles on the tailgate
Bobbers blowin’ in the wind
Since July of ’55
That’s as close as I’ve been”

Yeah, I just climbed out of a cottonwood tree
I was runnin’ from some honey bees
Drip dryin’ in the summer breeze
After jumpin’ into Calico creek

I was walkin’ down an old dirt road
Past a field of hay that had just been mowed
Man, I wish you’d just left me alone
I was almost home

I said, “Old man, you’re gonna freeze to death
Let me drive you to the mission”
He said, “Boy, if you’d left me alone
Right now I’d be fishin'”

I just climbed out of a cottonwood tree
I was runnin’ from some honey bees
Drip dryin’ in the summer breeze
After jumpin’ into Calico creek

I was walkin’ down an old dirt road
Past a field of hay that had just been mowed
Man, I wish you’d just left me alone
‘Cause I was almost home

Man, I wish you’d just left me alone
I was almost home