Toothless George - Summer of '79 Lyrics

I remember in in summer of '78
Or maybe it was '79
Momma was a truck-driver, she hit the road
Dad and me were left behind
And Daddy used to say she'd come back one day
'Til one day he told me she died
I lost Momma in the summer of '78
Or maybe it was '79

Well a few months later a Bell operator
Placed a call, collect to our home
Dad said, "Son, it's for you. It's your mom"
And through tears he handed me the phone
Guess he forgot what he said 'bout Momma being dead
'Cause I could see the sweat on his brow
As I said, "Mommy, I miss you. What's Heaven like?"
She said, "Let me speak to your father right now!"

Through the receiver I heard Momma scream
At Daddy on the telephone
And when he hung up he said, "Get in the truck
Your Momma's down in Oklahoma"
And when we started driving Daddy said I chimed in
"Do you think we're gonna see any ghosts
When we go to get Momma from the Pearly Gates
In that land called Oklahoma?"

Now I don't place blame on Daddy for saying
What he must have felt to be true
His wife was gone without a letter or call
As a boy of just twenty-two
"When's Momma coming home?" on and on I moaned
Well it must have worn over time
Now I'm older than he was back in '78
And if his shoes were mine
I don't know what the hell I'd do
If I was Daddy back in 1979