Oh, How We've Grown (The Melancholy of Cassadaga Nights)

I'll tell you a sad story about a man and his child
He cared for him 'til eight, then his lust grew wild
Man left with a girl and then a lonely child grew
And even today, he still searches for the truth

He slept cassadaga nights under the moon
Used to wish his dad would come home soon
It was a pretentious thing to wish, he then figured out
And for a while, the lonely child was plain old down

An empty space in his heart, pockets full of cash
He figured that he'd find meaning if he left home fast
So he caught the next train, went as far as he could
"I'm gonna find a purpose," he figured he would

The boy took on a name and wrote a few songs
Played guitar all day, yet he sang it all wrong
Then a girl came along, offering help to the kid
But as prideful as he was, he just blew his lid

Yet as the time flew by, the boy saw her more
And figured he'd take back the things he said before
Apologized for being stupid, apologized for being dumb
All she did was smile, and then they fell in love

More time passed by, the love bloomed alive
Nine more months passed, what a pleasant surprise
A child with her eyes, a child with his hair
And the boy, now a man, strived to care

While the girl had melted the ice in our hero's heart
The older the kid got, the more the man felt
He still didn't find his purpose - he needed to leave
He admit it was selfish, a little "me, me, me"

By the time the boy was eight, he just couldn't stay
Yet he didn't want to hurt them, so while they were away
He packed all his things, took his guitar, he was gone
And all the mother and child returned to was a sad song

It went like:
"Cassadaga nights and a blue-tinted moon
And I'm sorry, baby, that I have to go so soon
But my life is wrong and skewed to the side
I need to find myself, some purpose in my life

And I know it's gonna hurt, but let me tell you this
No child or no wife can just hold me by the wrists
And keep me back from just being who I am
As far as loving you both, I no longer can."