She said her mama died on the cross, 
Wearing pearls and an albatross 
With Jesus and a benzo in her brain 

On Easter Sunday they laid her down, 
So when I’m broke, that’s when I come around 
To avail myself of all my mother’s pain 

Mama let me in to take a shower 
Mama let me in to clean my clothes 
Mama let me in, to wash away the sin 
But like Good Friday mama, I come and go 

Under a scaffold, far below 
High as hell, nowhere to go 
I watched her sitting with a book between her hands 

Choking on some fresh regrets 
And electronic menthol cigarettes, 
Praying that one day I’d understand 

Mama let me in to take a shower 
Mama let me in to clean my clothes 
Mama let me in, to wash away the sin 
But like Good Friday mama, I come and go 
And I guess that’s why you always tell me no 

Cause you can’t help, 
And I can’t help myself at all 
Your boy is just another junkie on the street 
If this is hell and every angel has to fall 
Then I’ll be crawling home for one more score 
With nails right through my feet 

Mama let me in to take a shower 
Mama let me in to clean my clothes 
Mama let me in, to wash away the sin 
But like Good Friday mama, I come and go 
And I know that’s why you had to tell me no

How long will this last? 
Oh lord how many times will I ask? 
My well has run dry 
And there ain’t a cloud in the sky 

And my body is aching from all of the years I’ve carried this curse 
And the weather ain’t breaking 
Oh lord I’ve just got to quench my thirst 

I’m praying for rain 
Praying for the purpose in all of this pain 
I’m praying for rain 
And that I’m not shedding these tears in vain 

I don’t know what to say 
So just name your price I’ll be happy to pay 
I don’t know what to do 
Can you hear me lord? I’m talking to you 

Cause nothing is changing 
And I still feel like I’m alone 
And the soil is baking 
And there’s no water for all of the seeds I’ve sown 

I’m praying for rain 
Praying for the purpose in all of this pain 
I’m praying for rain 
And that I’m not shedding these tears in vain 

Cause Lord you know me and you know that I’m not a humble man 
But you’ve shown me life can only come from your hands 
I understand 

I’m praying for rain 
Praying for the purpose in all of this pain 
I’m praying for rain 
And that I’m not shedding these tears in vain

I’ve been trying to talk with my old man 
Says he knows me better then I’ll ever understand 

But still he can’t explain the things I’ve done 
Or what it’s like to be the father of a Reckless Son 

And for all the years I made sure I was numb 
All the liquored up conversations where I played deaf and dumb 

For all the screaming angels in my heart and in my head 
Not a word was spoken until my father said 

I can’t hide you from your own hands 
Or lift you from your knees 
But I’m preparing myself to have to dig your grave 
We’ll both be humbled by the will of God 
And the wrath of your disease 
But how could any man have to be so brave 
To know that nothing can be done 
For the father of a Reckless Son 

Alone inside a family where we pass around the blame 
You can keep your interventions, all you gave me was my name 

Waiting for the moment where I can meet you with my fists 
But punishing myself was the only thorn that I could twist 

Cause you can’t hide me from my own hands 
Or lift me from my knees 
But you’re preparing yourself to have to walk away 
We’ll both be humbled by the will of God, 
And the power of our needs 
And all that’s left for you to do is pray 
For all the battles that you’ve won 
You’re the father of a reckless son 

And I know you’ve had to see me walk into the rain 
And you knew you couldn’t pull me back 
But your love was never shown to me in vain 
You put your arms around me and the walls begin to crack 

But I know I’m the only one 
Who can do what must be done 
So with every breath in my lungs 
Hear the promise of a Reckless Son

On deck aboard a pilot boat 
We waited for the light 
Huddled close we warmed our hands breathing fog into the night 
Through ancient ways of navigation, following a star 
Oh brother I can't tell you where you’re going but I know just where you are 

Cause every time I close my eyes 
And sink into a sleep 
Or stare across the sky 
I hear the sound of your heart beat 
I see the man that you've become 
Following a dream 
Dream dream 

Skate across the ocean like a figure on the ice 
But waves will come a crashing down like tumbling dice 
Place no faith in destinations, be they near or far 
Oh brother I can't tell you where you're going but I know just who you are 

Cause I've watched you as you've grown up tall 
Humble in your rising 
And gracious in a fall 
You'll see the world, you'll see it all 
As the man that you've become 
In service of a call 
Just listen for your call 

And when the night begins to fall for days 
Soon you'll ask what makes this world this way 
Inside the silence if you start to pray 
You will hear, 
A voice will say 

That patiently the water's waiting there for you and me 
A thousand miles of ocean only leads into the sea 
But your hands will trace the state of Grace, a map from up above 
Cause brother I can tell that where you're going 
You're bringing light and bringing love 

So I'll follow as you light my way 
With the wisdom of a child joyously at play 

I'll find you as you find your own way 
As the man that you've become 
The man you are today

Hello young man, won’t you come in and sit for a little while 
I don’t know how long it’s been since I’ve seen you smile 
And I remember days you laughed more than you cried 
Can you tell me what it was that hurt you?  Who it was that lied? 

And tell me why you spend all your time alone 
And why you turn away from all the love that you’ve been shown 
I don’t know where you think you’re going to go 
You lost your confidence, and it seems you lost it long ago 

Boy you need a thicker skin 
Sometimes even the best of us have to take it on the chin 
Boy you need a thicker skin 
And maybe you’re the one you need to learn how to forgive 

Cause you’ve always had it in your head you had to be the best 
And now you’ve failed so many times all you feel is uselessness 
You blame the world for shattering your dreams 
But it’s clearly your own guilt that has you bursting at the seams 

And no one has the time to hear all your regrets 
Or stories about tragedies that haven’t happened yet 
And it’s only in your mind you still can’t seem to win 
But you’re life will pass you by while you’re waiting for it to begin 

Boy you need a thicker skin 
Sometimes even the best of us have to take it on the chin 
Boy you need a thicker skin 
And I hope you start to see you’ve still got so much to give 

Cause I promise you that someday soon you’ll hear a knocking at your door 
And faced with someone just like you you’ll know what all of this was for 
And for every morning you wake up afraid to face the day 
The gift that you receive will be someone else to show the way 

Boy you need a thicker skin 
Sometimes even the best of us have to take it on the chin 
Boy you need a thicker skin 
You gotta give yourself a chance to truly love 
And truly live

At night I pray to rise before the sun is up 
For a moment to myself and the fading memory of my dreams 

I wipe my eyes and I fill my cup 
And try to pray for someone else, cause I have everything I need 

Then daylight spills across the room and the work of yesterday resumes 
Mistakes are made in every plan to face all that the day demands 
I can only hope to grow and learn to let it go 

And live like a river flows 
And let love be like water flooding everywhere I go 
And give with all my heart and soul 
Surrendering to everything I know I can’t control 
And know my life is not my own 

I step into the air and I hold my breath 
One foot before the next, and make my way on down the streets 

And ask myself why I just can’t connect 
Because I see myself in every stranger that I meet 

The drifters and the orphan boys 
The businessman collecting toys 
The outlaws with their smoking guns 
The princes and the favorite sons 
It’s who I am, it’s what I’ve done 
So for each and every one 

I’ll live like a river flows 
And let love be like water flooding everywhere I go 
And give with all my heart and soul 
Surrendering to everything I know I can’t control 
And know my life is not my own 

Oh it’s a promise I’ve made 
But will I do anything to keep my word? 
Or will I just be too afraid to free the voice inside me that’s dying to be heard 

Singing live like a river flows 
And let love be like water flooding everywhere I go 
And give with all my heart and soul 
Surrendering to everything I know I can’t control 
And know my life is not my own

Sophie lies naked on the edge of the bed 
The clip in the ashtray is smoldering red 
She stares out the window but turns when she says 
Fear and Desire’s all I’ve got in my head 
Fear and Desire make me wish I was dead 

She lights a green candle and runs her fingers through the flame 
And says now that you’ve had me things will never be the same 
Take what you want but it won’t take away the pain 
Cause Fear and Desire’s all we’ve got besides shame 
Fear and Desire’s all we’ve got left to blame 

And there’s nothing left you can say 
Don’t you try to tell me boy that everything is ok 
Cause you know I know the truth 
And now Fear and Desire’s all we’ve got left to lose 

You see my Jack is old fashioned and he hates it when I’m sad 
Says I’m nothing but a child when he takes me like a man 
But the baby inside me wasn’t part of his plan 
Cause he’ll never leave his woman, never ask for my hand 
Fear and Desire’s all my Jack understands 

And there’s nothing you can do 
Don’t lie and say you love me, you’ll take care of us two 
You knew you were my only friend 
Now Fear and Desire’s brought that all to an end 

She rose from her bedside 
And she started to pray 
She warned me I should leave 
But didn’t mind if I stayed 
Always kept her windows open 
Said it let in the day 
I was too scared to move as I watched her fall away 
Fear and Desire always leaves us betrayed