House by the Creek

Mama lies on the couch in her old wedding gown

She turned pale long before the carnival had left town

She stares at the front porch on the outlook for dad

"Don't worry, I'll be back in a week" is the last thing he said

We all knew he gambled in the city and lost

Money we didn't have must've been the line that he crossed

It's been over a year instead of a week

Here in our house, our house by the creek

Me and my family live in the Netherlands

In the house daddy built with his bare hands

My younger brother Jimmy is playing outside

With his cap gun he tries to shoot planes from the sky

In his chair by the window sits uncle Fred

Since he's back from the war there ain't a word he has said

And Freckles my sister she passed away sir

Sometimes in my dreams I catch up with dad and with her

What we end up with is not what we seek

Here in our house, our house by the creek

My name is Louis, it's Louis, all right

I play dad's old accordion all day and all night

I just turned eleven, so I'm still a kid

But when I grow up I wanna find out what daddy did

Mister believe me, I was taught not to cry

And that family should stay together 'till the day that you die

Yeah mister believe me, I was taught boys don't cry

And that the town where you're born is the town where you'll die

That the town where you're born is where you'll probably die

What did God wanna show when He created man weak

We don't understand in our house by the creek