No Son of Mine
From Watch Me Shine the musical cabaret

Music by Richard Link
Lyrics by Adam Sandel

Click to play a clip [the full song is available for purchase]

He grew up in the country
Where the wildflowers bloom
His hair as gold as sunshine
His smile lit up the room

At church on Sunday morning
He’d raise his voice up loud
And all he ever wanted
Was to make his daddy proud

In football, track and basketball
He’d try with all his might
Whenever there was trouble
He’d never want to fight

“Oh Lord please make me stronger”
Each night in bed he’d pray
But he couldn’t hold the tears inside
When he heard his daddy say:

“No son of mine
Is gonna be a sissy
No son of mine
Is gonna be a girl

“That ain’t the way I raised you
So don’t you cry and whine
’Cause if you do, I’m tellin’ you
You ain’t no son of mine”

He dated lots of pretty girls
But it never did feel right
They weren’t who he was thinking of
As he lay in bed at night

He tried so hard to fight it
He tried so hard to pray
But his dreams of laying in a young man’s arms
Would never go away

Well his daddy flew into a rage
When he heard his boy was queer
He cracked his ribs and blacked his eye
Then he bloodied up his ear

His mama said, “You gotta go
For God’s sake get away”
As he climbed aboard that Greyhound bus
He could hear his daddy say:

“No son of mine
Is gonna be a sissy
No son of mine
Is gonna be a girl

“That ain’t the way I raised you
So don’t you cry and whine
You might as well go straight to Hell
’Cause you ain’t no son of mine”

He walked the great big city
Till the holes wore through his shoes
He sold himself just to survive
And it left him feeling used

The drugs they helped him to forget
And the liquor eased his pain
Each time that he remembered
That he’d never see home again

As he huddled in an alley
One bitter Christmas Eve
He said, “Where did you go Lord?
And why did I believe?”

He said, “I must deserve this
Or I would not be here”
Then a voice so calm and gentle
Whispered in his ear:

“No son of mine
Will ever be forsaken
No son of mine
Will ever be alone

“You’re perfect how I made you
There’s no mountain you can’t climb
As long as you remember
That you’re a son of mine

“No son of mine
Will ever be forsaken
No son of mine
Will ever be alone

“You’re perfect how I made you
There’s no mountain you can’t climb
As long as you remember
That you’re a son of mine

“As long as you remember
That you’re a son of mine”

Copyright © 2005 Richard Link and Adam Sandel.

Demo performed by:
Matt Alber, vocals
Richard Link, piano
David Landon, guitars
Randy Hayes, percussion