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 would 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 up 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 Oh pa you broke her heart You broke her heart Oh 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 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 Oh it seemed the worst in 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 Oh it 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 million miles from anywhere I prayed to my God to change it You'd best keep your head but 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 And we raised some hell we had some fun But real soon I met a lady oh so pretty And oh so fine And '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