Ma would never say what happened   And we knew better than push too hard   We knew we had all the chores to tend to   Like fixing fences and helping her   Washing dishes and making coffee   Me and virgil'd chop some wood   But we'd stop our swinging   Just to listen to her crying   It didn't sound too good   I can remember, too well      But we never thought to pay much heed   We learned to live life the best we could   But then one day pa upped and left us   High and dry without a word   Seemed a pity   My ma was pretty   But I soon learned life ain't that way   And I can remember hearing her weeping   While we were sleeping next to her      I can remember   I'll never forgive and I'll never forget   Cos pa you broke her heart   Ooh pa you broke her heart   You broke her heart   Ooh pa you broke her heart      Well the years rolled by   And 'fore we knew it   Our sister got married and moved out west   I stayed with ma, cos I couldn't desert her   I knew it would hurt her to be alone   So we pulled tighter   We said we'd try to make things easy   And raise a smile   But as the night came   We'd hear her crying   Praying for pa to come back again      I can remember   I'll never forgive him and I'll never forget   Cos pa you broke her heart   Oh pa you broke her heart      And then the winter came   I'd never known it colder   Ooh it seemed the worst for years   And the night she died I swear I saw her smiling   Saying I was a big boy now, no tears      So I packed up all we had, and virgil got the horses   And we paid our last respects and gave the whip a crack   Ooh, seemed a big bad world, we were riding into   Me and virgil both agreed, we best head off   And don't look back      Nothing but desert all around   Oh it made me wonder   Lord it's hard to carry on   When you're sick with hunger      Weeks and months of sleeping rough   Keeping clear of danger   Seems we were miles from anywhere   And too far gone to change it   We'd best keep going, don't look back      Well me and virgil we beat the desert   Riding fast and riding hard   We hit the city, the past behind us   So we raised some hell, we had some fun   But real soon I met a lady oh so pretty, and oh so fine   'fore too long I found myself married   With a home of my own and a blue eyed son   And 'til this day I can hear ma saying to me -   "you're a big boy now"