The Party
A Parent's Regret: The Party That Changed Everything
Lyrics
As we were dressing to go out
Preparing to go out for a party
Our little girl and boy
The couple's children
Came in and asked if they could go this time
Kids ask permission to join the outing
We told them little girls and
Parents explain that kids shouldn't go to parties
Boys don't belong at parties
Emphasizing the idea that parties are for adults
And that they should be in bed asleep by nine
Instructing kids to be in bed by nine
The babysitter came in then and
Babysitter arrives
We kissed the kids goodbye
Parents say goodbye to kids
And told them that we'd be home soon
Reassuring kids they'll be back soon
And told them not to cry
Asking kids not to cry
Then we left for the party
Heading to the party
Like we'd so often done
Reflecting on past party experiences
Thinkin' only of ourselves and
Selfish focus on themselves, neglecting kids
Not our little ones
Regret for not thinking about their children
The party started out wild and it grew
The party becomes increasingly wild
Wilder as the night wore on
Describing the escalating party atmosphere
With drinking laughing teling dirty jokes
Highlighting drinking and inappropriate behavior
Nobody thinkin' of home
Nobody is thinking about their homes and families
Then the stranger feeling came over me and
A sudden uneasy feeling grips the narrator
It chilled me to the bones
The feeling causes fear
And I told my wife that
Expressing concern to leave the party
We'd better leave the party
Sensing a need to be at home
'Cause I felt that we were needed at home
Feeling a sense of urgency to leave the party
As we rode along, i got to thinking of how
Reflecting on the morning's request from the kids
The kids that mornin'
The time the kids asked for a church visit
Had asked if we would take them
The request to be taken to church
To church the next day
Considering taking them to church the next day
And how I'd put 'em off
Past instances of delaying the church visit
Like I'd so often done
Repeatedly postponing church plans
By sayin' we'd probably get home too late
Assuming they'll return too late for church
Then my thoughts were interrupted by
Interrupted thoughts by the sound of sirens
The sound of sirens
The sudden noise of emergency vehicles
As they cut through the still night air
The emergency response to an incident
Then we turned down our street
Approaching their street
That's when we saw the fire
Discovering a fire
The rest was like a nightmare
The unfolding tragedy feels like a nightmare
We took their little bodies to
Taking the children's bodies to church
Church the next day
Despite leaving the party early, they arrived too late
Though we'd left the party early we
Reflecting on the tragic outcome
Still got home too late
Expressing regret for arriving home too late
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