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Ghost of Our Fathers Lyrics by Otis Gibbs

Souvenirs of a Misspent Youth

2014

He was almost blind
They say it happens when you’ve been punched too many times
And his hands were stone
He was a bare knuckle champion in an earlier life
It was hard not to stare
At his busted up nose and cauliflower ears
When he’d smile at me
And say the toughest fighters had their souvenirs
How to carry on
When the hardest punch is thrown
Take away the burden from our shoulders
He lived next door
He’d sometimes get with my father and talk about life
And sit on the porch
Drinking beer and remembering happier times
I was a child
I was far too young to ever understand
What it meant to have a son
Who’d been drafted and killed in Vietnam
How to carry on
When the hardest punch is thrown
Take away the burden from our shoulders
My father and I
Tried to keep him company so his mind could rest
On Saturday nights
Huddled around a black and white TV set
We all stood and cheered
When Ali knocked out Foreman that night in Zaire
And later that night
My father held his hand as he broke down and cried
How to carry on
When the hardest punch is thrown
Take away the burden from our shoulders
There stands a wall
In a clearing across from the National Mall
Crowded with names
Of the thousands of children that never came home
I stood in the rain
Watching dozens of mourners stumbling by
When I saw his name
I felt the ghost of our fathers kneeling at my side
Credits
Otis Gibbs

Otis Gibbs

About “Ghost of Our Fathers” by Otis Gibbs

Read the complete lyrics to "Ghost of Our Fathers" by Otis Gibbs from the album "Souvenirs of a Misspent Youth " in 2014. On Lyrks you can follow along with the full text, explore the artist's discography, and discover related songs. The track is often categorized under Country.

"Ghost of Our Fathers" is performed by Otis Gibbs. from the album "Souvenirs of a Misspent Youth " in 2014 This page provides the full lyric text for fans who want to sing along, study the songwriting, or compare versions across releases. Lyrks organizes lyrics by artist and song slug so you can bookmark and share a stable URL. Music lyrics help listeners connect with emotion, narrative, and rhythm in a track. Whether you are learning English, researching a favorite chorus, or preparing for karaoke, having accurate line breaks and section labels (verse, chorus, bridge) makes the experience easier. We link to the official artist profile on Lyrks where available, including biography snippets, top songs, and chart placements when we have that data. If you enjoy "Ghost of Our Fathers", explore more songs by Otis Gibbs using the links below. Chart and trending pages on Lyrks highlight what listeners are searching for this week. For copyright or correction requests, see our DMCA and contact pages.

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Frequently asked questions

"Ghost of Our Fathers" is credited to Otis Gibbs. Songwriting credits may include additional writers listed on the release; check the credits section on this page for linked collaborators.

"Ghost of Our Fathers" appears on "Souvenirs of a Misspent Youth " in 2014.

Visit the Otis Gibbs artist page at /artist/otis-gibbs for biography, popular tracks, and links to more lyric pages.