He spent his youth on the back of a horse
Watching trees grow and streams run their course
Always following the trail, right on his daddy's tail
Never knowing regret or remorse
He never shed a serious tear
Not old enough to drink his first beer
When his first brush with death was his daddy's last breath
So he packed and hit the road that same year
And his Mama's parting words were clear
She said these mountains will call you back home
When you've run out of pasture to roam
Spend your whole life runnin', till your past has been done in
Listen, they'll call you back home
Ten long years went by at a crawl
But he'd still give his mama a call
Phone cradled on his shoulder, fingers crossed as he told her
He might come and visit next fall
She said "Son, that ain't true at all"
She said these mountains will call you back home
When you've run out of pasture to roam
Spend your whole life runnin', till your past has been done in
Listen, they'll call you back home
When he finally stepped off of that bus
And walked from that big cloud of dust
He opened that rusty screen door
Cleared his throat, Mama turned, as a tear hit the floor
These mountains were calling me home
I ran out of pasture to roam
I spent a lot of time runnin' I s'pose my past has been done in
Mother, can I still call this home?
She cried these mountains will always be home
When you've run out of pasture to roam
You've spent a lotta time running, I hope your past has been done in
And I hope you will always call this home