Up Where the Men Go

They used to call me drunken Joe, I had the demon bad
Bridges, parks and alleys was the only homes I had
Drank that hopped-up sweet wine, slept right where I fell
And you couldn’t found a sadder soul in the coldest part of hell.

My buddy Charley told me ‘bout some skinny little priest
Who said his church and mission was out here on the streets
Said he had a place up north where the lake winds dump the snow,
Some old farm that he’d fixed up for the men to go.

I laughed and said, O Charley, I know them preacher men
They love to say them magic words and hear you say Amen
But it ain’t me they care about, it’s my immortal soul
And Charley, I done lost that a long, long time ago

Now Charley drank some whiskey and passed the bag to me
He said this Father Ray he thinks a little differently
He don’t want no converts, he just means to let you know
You can always come and stay with him, up where the men go.

And it ‘s warm and dry in winter, there’s fresh air in the spring
You can plant your own damn garden and grow most anything
You can walk back into nature, you can feel the summer sun
And ain’t no one gonna ask you ‘bout the bad things that you done.

‘Cause Father Ray thinks every bum that walks upon that land
Has all the worth and value of any other man, ‘n he don’t
Act no high and mighty ‘cause the man believes it’s true
But for the grace of God he’d be right here with me and you.

That night I slept and dreamed about the things that Charlie said
Next day I went to find him and they said “Ol’ Charlie’s dead”
I cried and prayed for Charlie ‘cause I meant to let him know
Tomorrow I’d be headin’ north, up where the men go

I stayed up there for 15 years and there never was a day
When I didn’t thank the Lord, my God for Father Ray McVey
With them big ears and them patched up pants he made me realize
That Jesus sure could make himself a pretty good disguise.

And that’s just how you’d feel when he sat and talked to you
Something in his eyes, like Jesus was there too
And I know it was a miracle the day I turned to see
The soul I thought I lost for good came flyin’ back to me.

Now I’ve up and packed my sack, I had to move along
To a place that’s s even better than that sweet old farm
And my good ol’ buddy Charley, he wants you all to know
He’s sittin’ right up here with me, up where the men go.