Every generation blames the one before  And all of their frustrations  Come beating on your door  I know that I'm a prisoner  To all my father held so dear  I know that I'm a hostage  To all his hopes and fears  I just wish I could have told him  In the living years  More crumpled bits of paper  Filled with imperfect thought  Stilted conversations  I'm afraid that's all we've got  You say you just don't see it  He says it's perfect sense  You just can't get agreement  In this present tense  We all talk a different language  Talking in defence  CHORUS  Say it loud  Say it clear  You can listen as well as you hear  It's too late when we die  To admit we don't see eye to eye  So we open up a quarrel  Between the present and the past  We only sacrifice the future  It's the bitterness that lasts  So don't yield to the fortunes  You sometimes see as fate  It may have a new perspective  On a different day  And if you don't give up  And don't give in  You may just be O.K.  CHORUS  I wasn't there that morning  When my father passed away  I didn't get to tell him  All the things I had to say  I think I caught his spirit  Later that same year  I'm sure I heard his echo  In my baby's new born tears  I just wish I could have told him  In the living years  CHORUS  ====================================================================  =======