He sat down, picked up the phone and said, "Boy, I'm your old man"
He touched the glass between the two
As if to shake his hand

The boy, he didn't budge
Not even so much as a blink
The man said, "Oh, come on, better late than never, don't you think?"

He said, "I read it in the paper, can't believe you're twenty one
Can't believe some son of mine
Could do the things I hear you've done"

He went on like some big hero who flew in to save the day
And the boy said, "If you're here to steer me right, man, it's too late"

You had to be there and I'm talkin' from day one
That's the only time a man should talk through glass to his new son
And you'd have to go back and teach me how when I was nine
'Cause my mama couldn't throw a ball even if she had the time
And I should have been learnin' how to fish
Instead of learnin' how to smoke
I bet if you'd have whooped my tail, I'd never thought it was a joke

He said, "Sometimes the will for doin' wrong is way too strong
For any Mama's prayers
You had to be there"

The man said, "Boy, I'm sorry you hate me like you do"
The boy said, "Dry it up, man, we ain't makin' this about you
It's about a teenage girl against the world who was left there high and dry
About a kid who might have stood a whole lot better shot at life"

But you had to be there and I'm talkin' from day one
That's the only time a man should talk through glass to his new son
And you'd have to go back and teach me how when I was nine
'Cause my mama couldn't throw a ball even if she had the time
I should have been learnin' how to fish
Instead of learnin' how to smoke
I bet if you'd have whooped my tail, I'd never thought it was a joke

He said, "Sometimes the will for doing wrong is way too strong
For any Mama's prayer
You had to be there"

Before the boy hung up the phone
He said, "They say I'm out of time"
And it hit the man right there and then
"My God, son, so am I"

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of "You Had to Be There" are about a father and son reconnecting after years of absence in the son's life. The father reaches out to his son, and they have a conversation through a glass partition. The son is hurt and angry that his father has not been present for most of his life. He rejects the father's attempts to build a relationship, highlighting all the things he missed as a child. He wishes his father had been there to teach him how to fish and play ball instead of smoking and getting into trouble.

The song explores the idea that there are moments in life that are irreplaceable and can't be recaptured. The father can't come back and teach his son to fish or play ball when he is an adult. The song is a reminder that people need to be there for the important moments in life, especially if they want to have a meaningful relationship with someone. The father realizes that he's out of time to make up for his absence, and the son realizes that he's out of time to reconcile with his dad before his potential impending death.

Line by Line Meaning

He sat down, picked up the phone and said, "Boy, I'm your old man"
The father called his son and identified himself.

He touched the glass between the two As if to shake his hand
The father wanted to have physical contact with his son, but couldn't because of the glass separating them.

The boy, he didn't budge Not even so much as a blink
The son remained still, showing no emotion or reaction to his father's presence.

The man said, "Oh, come on, better late than never, don't you think?"
The father tried to justify his absence by implying that it was better late than never to reconnect with his son.

"I read it in the paper, can't believe you're twenty one Can't believe some son of mine Could do the things I hear you've done"
The father expresses shock and disbelief at his son's reported behavior.

He went on like some big hero who flew in to save the day And the boy said, "If you're here to steer me right, man, it's too late"
The father acted like a hero, but the son felt it was too late for him to try and steer him in the right direction.

You had to be there and I'm talkin' from day one That's the only time a man should talk through glass to his new son And you'd have to go back and teach me how when I was nine 'Cause my mama couldn't throw a ball even if she had the time And I should have been learnin' how to fish Instead of learnin' how to smoke I bet if you'd have whooped my tail, I'd never thought it was a joke
The son believes that the father needed to be present from the beginning of his life to have any real influence over him. He also comments on his lack of guidance and how he could have benefited from a father figure.

"He said, "Sometimes the will for doin' wrong is way too strong For any Mama's prayers You had to be there"
The father reflects on the power of temptation and how a mother's prayers may not have been enough to steer his son in the right direction.

The man said, "Boy, I'm sorry you hate me like you do" The boy said, "Dry it up, man, we ain't makin' this about you It's about a teenage girl against the world who was left there high and dry About a kid who might have stood a whole lot better shot at life"
The father apologized for his son's hatred towards him, but the son responds telling him not to make it about himself. Instead, the son wants to talk about how he missed out on opportunities due to lack of parental guidance.

"Before the boy hung up the phone He said, "They say I'm out of time" And it hit the man right there and then "My God, son, so am I"
Before the conversation ended, the son acknowledged his limited time left. This prompted the father to realize his own mortality.

Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Hipgnosis Songs Group
Written by: CASEY BEATHARD, KENNETH WRIGHT

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

To comment on or correct specific content, highlight it