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