He packed his bags at midnight, same way he always did
Left his key on the counter, and a note she never read
The engine of that Chevy was the only goodbye sound
Whiskey on his breath again, as he was leaving town

There was whiskey in his goodbye
Courage in a bottle runnin' dry
He never could face the morning light
Or the tears in her eyes
So he'd pour one more and slip away
Like shadows in the night
There was always whiskey in his goodbye

Seven towns in three years, never could settle down
Runnin' from his demons, from bar to bar to bar
She tried to be his anchor, but he was drifting sand
With Jack Daniel's in his system and the wheel beneath his hands

There was whiskey in his goodbye
Courage in a bottle runnin' dry
He never could face the morning light
Or the tears in her eyes
So he'd pour one more and slip away
Like shadows in the night
There was always whiskey in his goodbye

He calls her when he's lonely, voice crackin' on the line
Says he's gonna change this time, but she's heard it all before
'Cause promises don't mean much when they're drowned in Tennessee

Now there's a letter from his mama, says he's finally found peace
In a cemetery outside Nashville, where the wildflowers grow deep
She wonders if he found it, what he was lookin' for
Or if he's still runnin' somewhere on that distant shore

There was whiskey in his goodbye
Courage in a bottle runnin' dry
He never could face the morning light
Or the tears in her eyes
Now she pours one out beside his stone
Under Tennessee sky
There was always whiskey in his goodbye
Always whiskey in his final goodbye