American Wake Lyrics

American Wake lyrics

open up the door, she's standin' there 
with the smile in her eyes but the
grey in her hair 
betrays the fact you strayed far from home
with your
drinkin', your smokin', your whorin' around 
sit down by the fire, put your
feet on the grate 
spend the night reminiscin' 'til the hour grows late

always remember at the end of the day...
you can always go home...you
just can't stay.

then it's off to the pub for to see your old mates

ah, they all look older, but nothin' has changed 
and you drink 'til
you're nearly out of your head 
"hey, what are yez all doin' snakin'
off to bed?" 
then you're outside her flat but she's no longer there

and the tears scald your eyes as you think of her hair 
in the photo
they sent you of her wedding day 
you can always go home...you just can't
stay. 

then you see her at mass with the kids at her side 
and it all
comes back in the blink of an eye 
the tears and the laughter, the love and
the lies 
and that dress she wore the night you said goodbye 
then her
husband says "it's good to have you back" 
and she smiles for a
moment and squeezes your hand 
but you know what she's thinkin', she doesn't
have to say 
you can always go home...you just can't stay. 

and you
swear to yourself time and time again 
it was all in the past, she don't
mean anything 
now your life is full of laughter and bars 
what did you
leave behind, just the sun...the moon...and the stars. 

then it's up in
the mornin' at the crack of dawn 
with your stomach churnin', she says
"c'mon now, sean, 
you'll be late for the plane," but that crack
in her voice 
betrays the fact that you made your choice 
a long time
ago, now there's no turnin' back 
cos last night you had your american wake

and the bells are still ringin', can't you hear what they say 
you can
always go home...you just can't stay.

say goodbye 
say goodybe
say
goodbye, in the wind and the pourin' rain...
one last drink
one last
drink
one last drink at shannon airport, then you're outta here, 
history
around here, catch you again next year...
landin' at kennedy
landin'at
kennedy
landin'at kennedy, all you feel is the pain, 
but it's too late,
cos last night you had, you had, you had your 
american wake.