Lyrics
[Verse 1]
He lived next door since I was just a kid
Watched me grow up, saw everything I did
Had a way of keeping me in line
Dry sense of humor, always told it straight
[Chorus]
I shook the hand of a dying man
Listened to his stories one last time
All the lives he's touched along the way
All the wisdom he gave to me
There ain't no easy way to say goodbye
Is there any greater honor than
To shake the hand of a dying man
[Verse 2]
He smiled through the pain like he always does
Made a joke about the end, that was his way
Talked about the people and the years gone by
The lessons that he learned, the reasons why
When it came time to leave, I stood to go
Reached out my hand one final time
[Chorus]
I shook the hand of a dying man
Listened to his stories one last time
All the lives he's touched along the way
All the wisdom he gave to me
There ain't no easy way to say goodbye
Is there any greater honor than
To shake the hand of a dying man
[Bridge]
Some day when my time comes around
I hope I've lived the kind of life
That someone's there beside me
And shakes my hand goodbye
[Chorus]
I shook the hand of a dying man
Listened to his stories one last time
All the lives he's touched along the way
All the wisdom he gave to me
There ain't no easy way to say goodbye
Is there any greater honor than
To shake the hand of a dying man