Em

[Verse]
(Spoken)
Em
As my father lay dying I was holding his hand
Em
He said "Son, there's one thing you must understand
Em
All my life I've been an Almost Man
Em
Don't make the same mistake as me

[Verse]
          Em    D      G       D         Em
"'Cause I never got to drive a real fast car
      C      G          D
Or get crazy drunk in a downtown bar
      Em    D    G      C       G
And I never even got to go that far
          D                   Em
There was so much I wanted to see"

[Verse]
        Em   D  G              D        Em
When he made it back from that terrible war
C                       G                     D
Things were going to be different than they'd been before
       Em D     G            C           G
'Cause he had a family and a lot to live for
         D               Em
He got a job, he settled down

[Verse]
   Em     D    G                D      Em
He worked real hard to keep the family tight
     C      G           D
Everyday he did what he thought was right
       Em    D    G        C         G
But he never got ahead and try as he might
        D                   Em
He was always just breaking even

[Verse]
  Em   D      G       D           Em
Before he knew it, it was all too late
    C        G          D
His time had passed and time can't wait
          Em   D         G        C          G
There are some things in life you just can't beat
       D                           Em
It's a fight you're never going to win

[Verse]
        Em   D        G     D                Em
When he died his ashes were sent through the post
     C              G                  D
And I thought about what he would have wanted the most
      Em           D           G                 C            G
So, I went out and bought that real fast car and I damned the cost
               D              Em
I strapped him in, we hit the highway

[Verse]
 Em   D    G           D           Em     C
"Hey, old man, now you know how it feels
          G                D
Isn't she just the greatest set of wheels?
        Em     D   G         C             G
She's a bright red beauty of cool polished steel
                D                 Em
And we're gonna turn some heads today"

[Verse]
       Em    D        G            D      Em
And we drove like the wind down to London town
      C      G                D
We got crazy drunk and started falling down
           Em  D   G            C     G
And when a new day broke and we came around
           D                   Em
I took him down to look at the sea

[Verse]
   Em       D        G               D     Em
We stood on Brighton beach, where it all began
        C         G     D
Where my father's son became a man
      Em   D  G                 C    G
And I said to him, "Now you can understand
D                      Em
What you have meant to me

[Verse]
          Em      D    G         D         Em
"'Cause I got you that ride in a real fast car
      C      G          D
We got crazy drunk in a downtown bar
       Em   D    G                C         G
And we made it together and we've come this far
      D              Em
And I did it all for you"

[Verse]
(Spoken)
Em
So I'll take that ride when it's given for free
Em
And I'll be the man he always wanted to be
Em
And if somehow he's looking down on me
Em
I know he'll smile and he'll say, "You did it, Al"

[Verse]
      Em   D    G          D         Em
Let's take that drive in a real fast car
         C      G              D
Let's get crazy drunk in every downtown bar
      Em  D      G                    C      G
Let's get on the road and follow that golden star
            D                  Em
And take it all the way to the end
          D      G                    C      G
Let's get on the road and follow that golden star
            D                      Em
And take it all the way  -  to the end