This Old Man (For William Henry Rankin)

This old man
He was my father
He wasn't here for very long
I've always carried one thing he told me
Son, you must be strong

This old man of mine
This old man

You gotta learn to put em up
And never let them see you cry
And since that day
I've come out fighting
But I never got to ask him why

This old man of mine
This old man

I've had a life
As the years moved by
I've kept my feelings locked deep inside
But I only became a man
The day I learned I could cry

This old man of mine
This old man

Yes I cried
Followed the anger
Followed the time that slipped away

Yes I cried
Cried for my father
For what he could never say

This old man
He was my father
He wasn't here for very long

I've always carried one thing he told me
Son, you must be strong

This old man of mine
This old man
This old man
This old man
This old man
This old man
This old man