Old man in a nursing home
Family left him all alone
Stares vacant at his coffee cup
Just needs a friend to lift his spirits up
If you'd just take the time to speak
Sure that you'd be surprised to see
About all the life he lived
A young man's heart full of grit
Ask him, tell you about the good old days
The battles won and the old time ways
He'll say
I walked the jungles of Vietnam
Lost my best friend, man, his name was John
Loved my wife and I raised my kids
Oh, you know the things that I did
Owned a business, mom and pop
Was by her side the day her heart stopped
My kids in college, man, I helped them study
Back in the days when I, I was somebody
Old man sitting at the bar
Picking chords on his guitar
He drinks down another beer
His eyes are misty, man, they're not quite clear
If you ask him about the songs he wrote
He'll tell you true through the words he chokes
About all of the shows he played
The cities seen and the money made
Ask him, tell you about the good old days
The songs he sung and the old time ways
He'll say
I played in Nashville and L.A
The crowds, they cheered when they heard my name
I saw it proud in the marquee lights
Different town, man, every night
I played this guitar, through it all
And at the end, home is where I'd call
Everyone wanted to be my buddy
Back in the days when I, I was somebody
Old man underneath a bridge
If you ask him about the life he lived
He'll just laugh and say, you know, it's funny
People only loved me
When I was somebody