Written by: Tom Douglas 
 
 
**CAPO 3** 
 
 
D 
In the fights they had he'd cover up his ears 
                                         Em  -  D/F#  -   G 
Thought big boys don't cry, fought back all the tears 
G                                                   D   G D 
Mama'd use her make up, to hide the bruises on his face 
        A                                   G                 D 
In the morning they'd pretend that there'd never ever been a trace 
 
D 
His old man woke him up to help him find the car 
                            Em  -  D/F#  -   G 
Take the bus uptown outside some rundown bar 
G                                                       D  G D 
And swore that he was quittin, and then he'd start to cry 
                A                                 G                  D 
And though the boy knew the truth sometimes he'd still believe that lie 
 
 
Chorus: 
          G 
When the sins of the father are the sins of the son 
     D                       Bm 
All you do is crawl when you wanna run 
    Em 
And God gave boys their mamas cause 
     D/F# 
They always see their promise 
          G              D/F#   Em 
And they help them understand 
A                   D   Bm 
How to walk like a man 
            Em    G 
Walk like a man 
 
 
      D 
They moved a lot of places, they never settled down 
                             Em  -  D/F#  -   G 
It got pretty old being the new kid in town 
G                                              D  G D 
He always told his friends, my daddy's sick today 
              A                             G                      D 
Said he'd be rich if he had a nickel every time he heard his mama say 
 
 
Chorus 2: 
     G 
The sins of the father are the sins of the son 
D                           Bm 
Crawl before you walk, boy, walk before you run 
Em 
Come on, stand up straight 
    D/F# 
I'm proud of you 
         G  D/F#          Em 
Take my hand,  I know you can 
A            D   Bm 
Walk like a man 
            Em   G 
Walk like a man 
 
 
A                        D        G 
Your daddy's demons are callin' your name 
A                                      D        G  
Don't you listen to them cause they've got no claim 
A                           D        G 
Temptations may come, that ain't no sin 
         Em                         D/F#        G   A 
You get stronger every time that you don't give in 
 
 
Chorus 3: 
     G 
The sins of the father are the sins of the son 
D                   Bm 
You can't undo what has been done 
Em                          D/F# 
You'll have to retrace his footsteps 
             G   D/F# 
Through the sand 
             Bm                  E7 
And pray you find the love of a girl 
     G              D/F# 
And take her by the hand 
     Em     A 
And walk on 
            Bm A G 
Walk like a      man