# MAMA, KEEP THE PORCH LIGHT BURNING [Intro] Mama, keep the porch light burning There's a long road home and the wheels keep turning If you hear that wind through the old pine trees Say a little prayer for the ones like me [Verse 1] I left my old truck by the edge of the drive Told my little girl I'd be home by July She put a paper flag in my travel bag Said bring it back, Daddy, don't let it get dragged Now the nights get cold and the hours run slow There are things on this road that I can't let her know I can carry a rucksack, I can shoulder the strain But I can't stop thinking of her face in the rain Back home, the dog still sleeps by the door Mama checks the road like a thousand times before And my woman holds tight to the words that I said While a thousand unanswered questions circle her head [Pre Chorus] If the signal goes quiet If the days turn long Don't let the world forget We were people all along [Chorus] MAMA, KEEP THE PORCH LIGHT BURNING! I AM STILL OUT HERE AND THE WHEELS KEEP TURNING! TELL MY BABY THAT HER DADDY TRIED TO BRING HIS HEART HOME ALIVE! There's a flag in the window, there's a prayer in the air There's a family back home that is always right there I can face the dark and the thunder above But the hardest fight is missing the ones I love Mama, keep the porch light burning! [Verse 2] They talk on the screen like it's easy to send Another young life around another bend They draw their lines where the maps turn red But a family has to live with the words unsaid Don't call it simple, don't call it clean You can't understand what a uniform means Until you watch somebody leave with a grin And pray every night they come walking back in I still believe in the folks back home In the hands that help when the nights feel long But every leader who asks for a sacrifice Must look at the families and speak plain advice Tell us the purpose, tell us the cost Tell us what matters before lives are lost The ones who serve deserve more than a cheer They deserve the truth and a future without fear [Pre Chorus] If the signal goes quiet If the days turn long Don't let the world forget We were people all along [Chorus] MAMA, KEEP THE PORCH LIGHT BURNING! I AM STILL OUT HERE AND THE WHEELS KEEP TURNING! TELL MY BABY THAT HER DADDY TRIED TO BRING HIS HEART HOME ALIVE! There's a flag in the window, there's a prayer in the air There's a family back home that is always right there I can face the dark and the thunder above But the hardest fight is missing the ones I love Mama, keep the porch light burning! [Bridge] Tell my little girl the stars still shine Tell her her drawing is next to mine Tell her the brave can be scared sometimes And coming home is the dream in our minds [Whistle Break] Ooooh, through the pines Ooooh, give us time A distant whistle calls across the night A thousand porch lights burning bright [Final Chorus] MAMA, KEEP THE PORCH LIGHT BURNING! I AM STILL OUT HERE AND THE WHEELS KEEP TURNING! I WANT TO WALK THROUGH THAT FRONT DOOR AGAIN AND HEAR MY LITTLE GIRL SAY, DADDY, YOU'RE HOME AGAIN! There's a flag in the window, there's a prayer in the air There's a family back home and a love waiting there I can face the dark and the thunder above But the reason I fight is the people I love [Outro] Mama, keep the porch light burning Tell her Daddy's coming home Keep the porch light burning I don't want her growing up alone
