The Years Fly By (song lyrics)

There was a kid who’d bare turned twelve

When he saw his papa shoot himself

From that moment, he was changed

From that moment, he took the blame

There’s a weight upon his shoulder

It grows heavier as he gets older

He said, “the oppressed become bolder

As this world gets colder”

He whispered at his papa’s grave

“It’s my fault you ain’t getting older”

It’s not his fault he ain’t getting older

It’s our fault he ain’t getting older

The years fly by

And he don’t cry

He’s sixteen now

His head is bowed

He runs around drinking

Drinking so that he can’t be thinking

His mama cries when he stumbles home

Where he’s been, she don’t wanna know

There’s a weight upon his shoulder

It grows heavier as he gets older

He said, “the oppressed become bolder

As this world gets colder”

He whispered at his papa’s grave

“It’s my fault you ain’t getting older”

It’s not his fault he ain’t getting older

It’s our fault he ain’t getting older

The years fly by

And he don’t cry

He’s twenty now

Got himself a bride

She tries to steer him from the dark

But the drinks and the pills, he’d already start

She watched as he wasted away

All because of that fateful day

There’s a weight upon his shoulder

It grows heavier as he gets older

He said, “the oppressed become bolder

As this world gets colder”

He whispered at his papa’s grave

“It’s my fault you ain’t getting older”

It’s not his fault he ain’t getting older

It’s our fault he ain’t getting older

The years fly by

And he don’t cry

He’s thirty now

Can’t look his son in the eye

Doesn’t want him to grow like his father

Doesn’t want him to be another city robber

His wife left him five years ago

Told him to get clean before they gave it a go

There’s a weight upon his shoulder

It grows heavier as he gets older

He said, “the oppressed become bolder

As this world gets colder”

He whispered at his papa’s grave

“It’s my fault you ain’t getting older”

It’s not his fault he ain’t getting older

It’s our fault he ain’t getting older

The years fly by

And he don’t cry

He’s forty now

Kissed his mama goodbye

His liver’s failing

His guilt prevailing

He’s in a hospital bed

The years fly by

And he don't cry

He's forty-two now

Ready to die

He's gotten his life together

He and his wife are back together

But the damage has been done

He's with his papa once again