Locked Out in the Cold

On a bitter winter's night  
A man shuffled through town  
With not a soul on the road  
Only snow on the ground  
He walked by a place  
He once knew so well  
If the walls could speak  
They'd have stories to tell  
He walks up to the door  
Shyly steals a look in  
He's twenty-three again  
Ordering himself a tonic and gin  
He needs the liquid courage  
To talk to that girl  
A man knows by looking  
When he sees the start of his world  
They danced away the night  
As his friends watched  
From the comfort of the bar  
He was different from them  
Who lived vicariously from afar  
It would be no time at all  
Until they wed  
Before their families and God  
Their vows were read  
They lived on a quiet farm  
Their early life is bliss  
Still, he lays awake every night  
Wondering what he's missed  
He works his hands over  
To build this wonderful little life  
No matter his best efforts  
He can't fix what ails his young wife  
They have a couple little ones  
Running wildly and free around  
He thinks at last  
His purpose in life has been found  
He tells himself as he watches them:  
"This is it  
My life before now  
Wasn't worth shit"  
He tries to keep everyone safe  
To help his children understand  
The pain that accompanies  
The ring on his left hand  
Through the years, he picked himself up  
Because that's what a father does  
Bares the weight of the world  
For the children he loves  
They're all grown now  
From the nest they've fled  
And out the door walked  
The beautiful girl he'd wed  
He smiles sadly  
As he watches the years of his life pass  
He reaches out a trembling hand  
But the bar is moving too fast  
"Hey, man, you're letting in the snow!"  
The young bartender scolds  
Startled, he decides it's time to go  
Once again, left out in the cold