tend the garden

I was young, it was the '60s, you see
I never wanted to be the chief of anything
So it was singing in the church for me
Behind the organ was as close as I'd ever be

There was a woman that I knew before
She was in Auckland, she was spoken for
My hair was short, my skin was brown
I did construction work from town to town
There were things we did and should not have done
Been half a century since I seen my sons

Lord knows if they would ever forgive me
I won't forgive myself at least
There are strange forces in the air only time can unleash
In a way I still believe

I fell in love, it was the '90s, you see
I met a woman across the Tasman in '83
And we settled down and raised a couple kids
But I couldn't bring myself to tell 'em what I did

I hope that one day if they find my sons
They'll tell 'em everything that I've become
And I will hold it 'til my dying breath
When I tend the garden, I will think of them
But my youngest kid, he can't shut his mouth
I guess it won't be long 'til the truth is out

Lord knows if they would ever forgive me
I don't forgive myself at least
There are strange forces in the air only time can release
In a way I still believe

You know, with your dad
He had his reasons
You know, to, to leave the island
Go to New Zealand, to go to Australia

In the instance of pain
I look straight down at the iris
If the irises fade
I spend days out in the yard
In the absence of rain
I take a seat down at the organ
I play
Lord, I play
Ah yeah
Ha-ha-ha-ha-ha