i want to learn a love song

he came fresh from the street

fast on the speed

kind of lean and lazy

not much meat on his bones

and a whole lot of lone

and more than a little bit crazy

his old six string was all he had

to keep his belly still

and for each full hour lesson he gave

he got a crisp ten dollar bill

and i'd been married for seven long years

to a concrete castle king

i decided to learn to play the guitar

just to hear my children sing

so he'd show up about once a week

in his faded tight legged jeans

with a backlog full of hobo stories

and a lap of dated dreams

i said i want to learn a love song

full of happy things

i said i want to learn a love song

boy

don't you let me hear you sing?

i want to learn a love song

i want to hear you play

i said i want to learn a love song

boy

before you go away

so he tried to teach me a few easy chords

and a simple melody

but most of the time i'd rather listen to him

just play and sing to me

then he came one night and the house was door

i met him on the door

and we sat on the couch and we sang and talked

till we could not sing no more

i said i want to learn a love song

boy

full of happy things

i said i want to learn a love song

won't you let me hear you sing?

i want to learn a love song

i want to hear you play

i'd say i want to learn a love song

before you go away

i guess you know what happened

lord

he's been good to me

sometimes i feel like i'm workin' in a hollywood movie

or living out a good bad dream

i said i want to learn a love song

boy

full of happy things

i said i want to learn a love song

won't you let me hear you sing?

i want to learn a love song

i want to hear you play

i'd say i want to learn a love song

before you go away