Whiskey in His Goodbye

He packed his bags at midnight, same way he always did Left his key on the counter, and a note she never read The engine of that Chevy was the only goodbye sound Whiskey on his breath again, as he was leaving town There was whiskey in his goodbye Courage in a bottle runnin' dry He never could face the morning light Or the tears in her eyes So he'd pour one more and slip away Like shadows in the night There was always whiskey in his goodbye Seven towns in three years, never could settle down Runnin' from his demons, from bar to bar to bar She tried to be his anchor, but he was drifting sand With Jack Daniel's in his system and the wheel beneath his hands There was whiskey in his goodbye Courage in a bottle runnin' dry He never could face the morning light Or the tears in her eyes So he'd pour one more and slip away Like shadows in the night There was always whiskey in his goodbye He calls her when he's lonely, voice crackin' on the line Says he's gonna change this time, but she's heard it all before 'Cause promises don't mean much when they're drowned in Tennessee Now there's a letter from his mama, says he's finally found peace In a cemetery outside Nashville, where the wildflowers grow deep She wonders if he found it, what he was lookin' for Or if he's still runnin' somewhere on that distant shore There was whiskey in his goodbye Courage in a bottle runnin' dry He never could face the morning light Or the tears in her eyes Now she pours one out beside his stone Under Tennessee sky There was always whiskey in his goodbye Always whiskey in his final goodbye