He had plastic bags wrapped around his shoes   He was covered with the evening news   Had a pair of old wool socks on his hands   The bank sign was flashin' five below      It was freezin' rain and spittin' snow   He was curled up behind some garbage cans   I was afraid that he was dead, I gave him a gentle shake   When he opened up his eyes, I said, ?Old man, are you okay??   He said      ?I just crawled out of a cottonwood tree   I was runnin' from some honey bees   Drip dryin' in the summer breeze   After jumpin' into calico creek?      ?I was walkin' down an old dirt road   Past a field of hay that had just been mowed   Man, I wish you'd just left me alone   'Cause I was almost home?      And he said, ?I was just comin' 'round the barn   'Bout the time you grabbed my arm   And I heard mama holler, ?Son, hurry up?   And I was close enough for my own nose   To smell fresh cobbler on the stove?      "And I saw daddy loadin' up the truck   Cane poles on the tailgate   Bobbers blowin' in the wind   Since July of 55, that's as close as I've been?      "Yeah, I just climbed out of a cottonwood tree   I was runnin' from some honey bees   Drip dryin' in the summer breeze   After jumpin' into calico tree"      "I was walkin' down a old dirt   Past a field of hay that had just been mowed   Man, I wish you'd just left me alone   I was almost home"      I said, ?Old man, you're gonna freeze to death   Let me drive you to the mission?   He said, ?Boy, if you'd left me alone right now I'd be fishin'?      "I just climbed out of a cottonwood tree   I was runnin' from some honey bees   Drip dryin' in the summer breeze   After jumpin' into calico creek"      "I was walkin' down an old dirt road   Past a field of hay that had just been mowed   Man, I wish you'd just left me alone   Man, I wish you'd just left me alone [unverified]   I was almost home, I was almost home"