Open up the door, standin' there With the in her eyes but the gray in her hair Betrays the you strayed far from home With your drinkin', your smokin', you're around
Sit down by the fire, put your on the grate Spend the night reminiscin' 'til the hour grows Always at the end of the day You can go home, you just can't stay
it's off to the pub for to see your old mates Ah, all look older, but nothin' has changed And you drink 'til you're out of your head Hey, are yez all doin', snakin' off to bed?
Then you're outside her flat but she's no longer The tears scald eyes as you think of her hair In the photo they sent you of her day You can always go home, you can't stay
Then you see her at Mass with the at her side And it all comes back in the of an eye The tears and the laughter, the love and the And that she wore the night you said,? Goodbye?
Then her husband says, "It's to have you back" And she for a moment and squeezes your hand But you know what she's thinkin', she doesn't to say You can go home, you just can't stay
And you swear to yourself, and time again It was all in the past, she mean anything Now your life is of laughter and bars What did you leave behind, just the sun, the and the stars?
Then up in the mornin' at the crack of dawn With your stomach churnin', she says, "Come on, now, be late for the plane" but that crack in her voice Betrays the fact that you made choice
A long time ago, now no turnin' back 'Cause last you had your American wake And the bells are still ringin', you hear what they say? You can always go home, you can't stay
Say goodbye, say goodbye, say In the wind, the and the pourin' rain One last drink, one last drink, one drink At Shannon Airport, we're outa here
History around here, you again next year Landin' at Kennedy, landin' at Kennedy, at Kennedy All you feel is the But it's too late, too late 'cause last night you had You had your American