I remember waiting by the curb with Mr. Murphy   When daddy picked me up from school, his eyes were red   We drove to the hospital in a hurry   Where my family gathered round my Grandpa's bed   He was my best friend   He taught me how to fish   And I cried listening to my Daddy pray      For one of those I've loved along the way      She had a ribbon in her hair the day I met her   That whole year we couldn't get enough   After graduation, she took off for Denver   And for a while we both tried to keep in touch   She was my best friend   And it broke my heart   But I don't regret the day that she became      One of those I've loved along the way      And I hope they know   I never would've made it this far   On my own   But where would we all be without those   Fathers and mothers, sisters and brothers   Fiends I've made, long lost lovers   I wouldn't be who I am today      If not for those I've loved along the way      Now I'm just a country boy with a guitar   Looking back down this old road I've been traveling on   It was never about trying to be some big star   For me it's always been about these songs   You see they're my best friends   They're the life I live   And I hope they've put a smile on the face   Of those that I've loved along the way   'Cause I wouldn't be the man I am today      If not for those I've loved along the way