By the time I made it home, you were already in bed Chubby cheek pressed to your a pillow by a bedtime book you read And I noticed you looked older than you did yesterday You’ve been growing up while I was away You made a pile of leaves in the front yard, I guess it’s already fall By the look of those pictures your mama took, the two of you had a ball And It made me glad but a little sad to see those games you played I missed a lot of smiles while I was away And for every dollar I earn there’s a lesson you learn without me there And every day I’m on the go, I’m praying that you know your daddy cared Cause the hardest part about working hard ain’t about the bills I gotta pay It’s you growing up while I was away And I found your note in the kitchen, it’s a real work of art A stick man holding your stick hand with “Daddy” written in a heart And it got me good cause I’ve understood what you meant to say You’ve been missing me too while I was away And for every dollar I earn there’s a lesson you learn without me there And every day I’m on the go, I’m praying that you know your daddy cared Cause the hardest part about working hard ain’t about the bills I gotta pay It’s you growing up while I was away You know the hardest part about working hard ain’t the bills I gotta pay It’s everything I missed while I was away.