The Night I Learned How Not To Pray

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[Verse 1]
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I was laying on my belly in the middle of the living room floor
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I was watching Howdy Doody so I'm guessing it was right around four
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When I saw my baby brother tumbling from the top of the stairs
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He was lying limp and silent and the blood was trickling through his shiny hair


[Verse 2]
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When my mom saw my little brother she said you better run and get your dad
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And her voice was high and she was shaking so I knew this was bad
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Well we stood out by the mailbox watching her and dad and brother drive away
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And I didn't waste no time I got down on my knees right there and I began to pray


[Verse 3]
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Well I prayed into the evening, never even took the time to have a bite
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I was sure if I prayed hard enough that God would make it right
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We were at the kitchen table long past bedtime when we finally got that call
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And I knew that it was over when my sister slammed that phone against the wall


[Chorus]
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That night I learned how not to pray
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God does what he wants to any way
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  And I never did tell my mother,
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I kept it from my sisters and all my brothers
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  That was the night I learned how not to pray


[Instrumental]
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[Verse 4]
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It was 41 years later when I took my brothers picture out of that box
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Hung it on the wall, sat across from him and I began to talk
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When the evening started I didn't know what I was going to say
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But before the night was over I told them all about how I learned not to pray


[Chorus]
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That night I learned how not to pray
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God does what God wants to,   don't he any way
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  And I never did tell my mother,
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I kept it from my sisters and all my brothers
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  That was the night I learned how not to pray
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  That was the night I learned how not to pray,  Whoa oh
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  That was the night I learned how not to pray