Sometimes a song’s inspiration comes from friends needing to tell a story. This one grew from a very personal turning point in the life of such a friend of Country Fox Music.
His experience with alcoholism and the continuing challenge of overcoming it became the inspiration for a song he hoped might speak to others facing the same struggle. By sharing something deeply personal, he wanted others to know that they were not alone and that change, while difficult, is possible.
The “old friend” in the title reflects the complicated nature of alcoholism. Something that may once have seemed familiar or comforting can gradually become something that controls and harms. Saying goodbye requires honesty, courage, determination, and the recognition that recovery is an ongoing journey.
"Saying Goodbye to an Old Friend" was created with the hope that someone struggling with alcoholism might hear the song, recognize something of their own story in it, and find encouragement to take another step toward a different life.
LYRICS
From a sweet water creek running,
To the peaks standing bare,
Once hidden by leaves,
Now I see it clear out there.
Loosed laces on my worn boots,
After miles on trails of stone,
Quiet moments filled my spirit,
In a peace I’d not known.
I carried an old friend with me,
Down trails both wide and long,
Celebrated when times were good,
And drank when life went wrong.
What started as a comfort,
Became a problem I couldn’t see,
Till in the quiet of those mountains,
I saw what it was doing to me.
I said goodbye to an old friend,
One that never led me right,
Whispered, “Just one more beer,”
While he stole away the light.
So I showed him to the door,
Let his voice fade in the wind,
Opened my heart to Jesus,
And let a better Friend come in.
I’ve walked the mountain trails
More times than I can say,
Cathedrals built by God Almighty,
Where heaven feels one step away.
Something felt different this time,
Not just a change…a commitment made,
More alive than before,
And a debt I would no longer pay.
I said goodbye to an old friend,
One that never led me right,
Whispered, “Hide your hurt behind me,
Wear a mask to get you through the night”
So I showed him to the doorway,
Let his shadow reach an end,
Opened my heart to Jesus,
And let a better Friend come in.
Snow pure white lay on the trails
Mountains in the distance shone
Jesus held my hand beside me
Reminding me I’m not alone.
Life seemed a race to nowhere,
Too much hurry, not enough sight,
But patience is a form of kindness,
Helping good seeds find the light.
A hurried man keeps digging,
To see if roots have found their way,
But faith lets time do its growing,
And trusts tomorrow’s coming day.
There’s a time for every season,
A time to labor, time to rest,
Sometimes time for nothing at all
Letting God do what He does best.
I said goodbye to an old friend,
One that never led me right,
No more masks to hide behind,
No more running from the fight.
So I showed him to the doorway,
Watched him disappear again,
Opened up my heart to Jesus,
And let a better Friend come in.
From the sweet water creek running,
To the peaks revealed above,
The Great Outdoors taught me freedom,
And my Savior taught me love.
Yes, the Outdoors taught me freedom,
And the Savior taught me love.