Well it’s been a long time since you came around
And it’s been quite a while since you phoned
Things have moved right along since you went away
Things have moved right along since you’ve been home

All our friends they don’t call me, they don’t call me any more
All our friends ain’t my friends for many miles
And I don’t go to church, I don’t go any more
I can’t stand to hear the gossip through their smiles

CHORUS:
Since you went away
Well life it don’t stand still
I keep waking up & getting through my day
The babies all need feeding
& the work it never pales
I keep going along since you went away

So today you walk right up, right up as though to say
“Here I am babe and donchya miss my grin?”
I don’t know what to tell you, what to tell you now you’re here
All those blame words that I kept bottled in

CHORUS
BRIDGE: Well there’s things you don’t know about me
Since you’ve been gone
And it seems you don’t care enough to pry
Well that’ll suit me fine mister, that’ll suit me fine
I’m not giving you the time to say goodbye!

SOLO

Well it’s hard to believe, to believe it’s been so long
And it’s hard to believe you’re here again
I don’t think you’ll be staying, staying through the night
I don’t think I’ll even invite you in
CHORUS--OUT

Lyrics: Ruby Dee Philippa
Music: Ruby Dee And The Snakehandlers
2008 North Of Bakersfield Music, ASCAP
from the album MILES FROM HOME
Dionysus Records ID1233139