[Verse 1]
The day Daddy died, he didn't fall down
Working in his yard like folks his age go
No, he went overnight at a V.A. in Memphis
With no one around to see that he got home
We made the plans
My sister stood and stared
And din't say a thing

[Chorus]
Now the stale smell of smoke and coffee
Won't come from the kitchen at 5 a.m.​
Mama would holler 'bout it to him
But you can tell, soon she'll miss him
They tell you the day will come
But they don't tell you how to fill the space
When something good is gone

[Verse 2]
As we sat in the front room, stood the feeling
That forty years, one day, just came and went
Gina broke the silence when she said
"That's just like that son of a bitch
To take his hush puppy recipe with him"
Oh, the sacred things are rarely understood
With life and all it gives

[Chorus]
Now the stale smell of smoke and coffee
Won't come from the kitchen at 5 a.m.​
Mama would holler 'bout it to him
But you can tell, soon she'll miss him
They tell you the day will come
But they can't tell you how to fill the space
When something good is gone

[Verse 3]
Billy chose [a/the?] disposition you could tell
He was still shook up until he signed his name
But even then, the eulogy he gave
Seemed like a last attempt to get him to wake up and stay
My sister cried
My cousin sang a song
And we went out separate ways

[Chorus]
Now the stale smell of smoke and coffee
Won't come from the kitchen at 5 a.m.​
Mama would holler 'bout it to him
But you can tell, soon she'll miss him
They tell you the day will come
But they don't tell you how to fill the space
When something good is gone