Cherish the Ladies - The missing piece

John and ^AmMary went to ^Flive in the Mid^Gwest in 19^C50 They ^Fworked as hard as ^Cimmigrants, bought a ^Fhouse and a used ^Gcar But their ^Amhome was ^Gstill to ^Fbe a long, long ^Gway from Detroit ^Ccity It ^Dm7called out of the lost part ^Fof their ^Ghearts And their ^Dm7Irish eyes only really smiled when they ^Fthought of County ^GKerry The ^Dm7other times they mostly squinted ^Gout And they ^Amreared their ^Gkids to ^Fsing the songs and ^Dm7share in the same ^Clonging No ^Dm7fault of theirs, this love of ^Floyal ^Ghearts For what was ^Cmissing

Like an ^Amanimal who'll ^Fchoose to lose his ^Gleg to gain his ^Cfreedom And ^Amleave it cut and ^Ftorn inside the ^Ctrap When ^Amfeelings ^Gstir and ^Fhearts are opened ^Gup for any ^Creason The ^Dm7missing piece aches ^Fdeeply to go ^Cback

Their feelings stirred on ^Amholi^Fdays, '^Gspecially Christmas ^Cmorning When ^FBrighde, Tom and ^CMaureen ran with ^Fglee into their ^Gplay ^AmMary ^Gleft a^Flone, would pick up ^Gpaper, bows, and ^Cwrapping And ^Dm7John would peel the turnips ^Fand make ^Gtea There were ^Dm7silences on days like that, that ^Fneeded no ex^Gplaining Their ^Dm7hearts were with their families back in ^GKerry And the ^Amwild ^Gbeauty ^Fof the land, ^Dm7to their memory ^Ccalling No ^Dm7pity now, you've learned to ^Fbear the ^Gpain For what was ^Cmissing

And ^AmMary's house is ^Fempty now, the ^Gplant in town is ^Cclosing Old ^FJohn's put in his ^Cthirty years, Mary's ^Fready to ^Gretire ^AmThis should ^Gbe the ^Ftime to head back ^Ghome to what's been ^Cmissing But their ^Dm7heart's no longer sure of ^Ftheir de^Gsire They ^Dm7talk for months and months of pensions, ^Fpunts, and their sur^Gvival For ^Dm7neither wants to say what they both ^Gknow They'd ^Amonly ^Gbe 'The ^FYanks' at home and they'd ^Dm7miss their grandkids ^Cgrowing They'll ^Dm7stay right here and reap what ^Fthey have ^Gsown For what was ^Cmissing

Like an ^Amanimal who'll ^Fchoose to lose his ^Gleg to gain his ^Cfreedom And ^Amleave it cut and ^Ftorn inside the ^Ctrap When ^Amfeelings ^Gstir and ^Fhearts are opened ^Gup for any ^Creason The ^Dm7missing piece aches ^Fdeeply to go ^Cback The ^Fmissing piece aches ^Dm7deeply ^{G C}