Story Behind The Song

Wrote this when my boy Joe was about 3. Now he's 35 ... where did the time go?

Lyrics

Little Boys grow up
And they become men
Sometimes it takes 50 years,
Sometimes it only takes ten
Some'll walk a hard road
Another soft and clean
Gonna make a difference in the way that they smile
and the way that they dream

Little boys grow up
And learn to hold their own
Through the miles and the trials
And the sticks and the broken bones
Some are tougher than leather
Some are ground to sand
Some turn out to be
Just the good ole boys
And some are real bad men.

My little boy's growin' up
Faster every day
And he's a blonde-haired, brown-eyed
Picture of the USA
He wants to be a fireman
Or drive a semi-truck
I told him he'd make it
If he works real hard
And forgets about luck.

I've heard a lot of talk about the good ole boys
They ain't nothin' but adults with expensive toys
And that's true - they're a lot like me and you
One thing keeps a runnin' on through my mind
That we could be an example to the little boys
In our time.

My little boy'll grow up
And he'll become a man.
And god only know how the world will be spinnin' by then
It could be a better place, or much the same as today
Maybe someday a place where my little boy's boys will be safe to play.