VERSE 1 I only saw brief moments Of my father without beer Just flashes of a happier man Before the dark drew near I know he worked his whole life hard And gave the best he could He loved his music and the waltz On nights when life felt good But beer was always waiting Before the evening’s end And somewhere in those amber glasses We slowly lost him then VERSE 2 The house grew quiet after dark We learned to read the signs A change in voice, a heavy step Fear settling in our minds Good people can be broken down By what they cannot tame And alcohol can steal a soul Till nothing feels the same Families carry hidden scars Long after years have gone And memories still rise at night Though everyone moves on PRE-CHORUS Fight the bitterness Fight the despair Or the hurt keeps living on Everywhere CHORUS So I look toward forgiveness now Though the scars still remain Because hatred is another chain Born from mankind’s pain If I want my own faults forgiven Then mercy must begin Or the poison that destroyed his life Will keep destroying mine within BRIDGE Alcohol stole the best of him Piece by piece, year by year And those left standing in its wake Still carry sorrow here But I cannot spend my whole life Keeping anger alive Because forgiveness may be the only way The wounded truly survive FINAL REFRAIN Somewhere beyond the bitterness I still remember when He danced with Mum in the lounge room Before the bottle won
