Story Behind The Song

While living in Hollywood, California I met a guitarist who told me over beers how he left his wife and daughter and how much he hated himself for doing that. A few months later he died of a drug overdose.

Song Description

A guitar player in Chicago leaves his wife and moves to Los Angeles to become famous. He fails. A year later, in a drunken stupor, he calls a helpline and tells a woman how much he misses his wife and daughter.

Lyrics

Hotline Savior, I'd like to ask a favor. I need someone to talk to before I lose my mind. It's true that I've been drinking and I've done a lot of thinking about that wife of mine. And my daughter too.

My girl is six, and God it makes me sick, to think I seldom told her how I love her so. You see I left them on a cold November night about a year ago. In dreams I hear my daughter, crying for her father.

Chorus

And it's a hard way to live being all alone. If I thought they'd take me back I'd go home I swear I'd try. Now I'm going to say goodbye before I break right down and cry, and you know it's said a man should never weep.

Verse

Hotline Savior, I'm not proud of my behavior. I've slummed and bummed while trying to be a rock roll star. Its true Hollywood don't cut it, my wife was right she said I'd hock my own guitar, to drink inside a bar room alone.

We used to laugh, and once she took my photograph while holding my baby girl in front of Brookfield Zoo. We lived in Old Town in a big old white framed house with a lake front view. But now I'm just a boozer, and all around down loser.

Chorus

And it's a hard way to live being all alone. If I thought they'd take me back I'd go home I swear I'd try. Now I'm going to say goodbye before I break right down and cry, and you know it's said a man should never weep. And you know it's said a man should never weep. And you know it's said a man should never weep.