Oh My Mother

Oh, my mother
I can't wait to see you
This February, I'm flyin' out
Provided the snowstorms in Ohio let up
I'll be comin' up from New Orleans

Oh, my mother
I love you and miss you
I miss talkin' in your living room
By your courtyard, watchin' the blue jays
And the sparrows dancin' around the bird feeder

Oh, my mother
Gotta thank you for takin' me
To Los Angeles when I was a kid
And opening my eyes to hummingbirds and chameleons
And the Pacific Ocean

Oh, my mother
I can't wait to thank you
For openin' my ears to David Bowie's "Changes"
"Somebody Up There Likes Me," "Golden Years"
And helpin' me buy my wine red Les Paul

Oh, my mother
I need to thank you
For driving me to guitar lessons
Over to downtown Canton
I remember the Christmas decorations along the way

The December John Lennon passed away
My teacher was so distraught
He said, "I'm much too shaken up, Mark
We're gonna spend your lesson watchin' the news
And payin' respect to John Lennon"

Oh, my mother
I remember walking with you
In New Orleans, on Royal Street
And takin' a right at Pirate's Alley
For beignets at Du Monde

Oh, my mother
I remember a Christmas with you
Cleaning fish in Mendocino
Drinking coffee and making cioppino
And collecting sea glass at Fort Bragg

Oh, my mother
I remember driving with you
Through the mountains of Gold Country, California
And antique shopping
And taking photos of the American River

Oh, my mother
I'm sorry
For the hell I put you through
For stealing the dime your father gave you
And making you cry

Oh, my mother
I can't thank you enough
For taking care of my sisters and I
When Dad was outta town half of the time
Where you got your strength is beyond me

Oh, my mother
I can't wait to see you
Once again this winter
In your home by the Tuscarawas River
Put my arms around you and kiss your cheek

Oh, my mother
Sorry for not visiting more often
You know I been travelin'
And that my work takes me so far from Akron
Thank you for being so supportive and understanding