Chance

The inspiration for the song Chance is my father. As a young man, he had the courage to take on custody of me as a two-day-old infant. Even though he was in a foreign country, and without any family support system, he took on the responsibility. And he did it well!  He filled my early childhood with two things — music and love.

As an adult I would often ask him, “Why did you do what you did for me?” In the song Chance, you will hear many of his responses to my question.

Although Chance is told from another young father’s point of view, you can still hear my father’s answers.

Lyrics by Carolana Callaway & Mark Cawley
Music by Mark Cawley

Verse 1
She broke the news one Saturday night,
Chill in the air, if I remember it right.
Said Bobby it’s the hardest thing I’ll ever do.
‘Said I’m too young too settle; too young for a ring,
Dependin’ on you to do the next right thing.

Verse 2
Like them kids in the Mellencamp song,
Life came quick and then life moved on,
‘Till Shiloh High was just a memory.
Sometimes life throws a wrench or two,
And young men do what real men do. 

Chorus
That was The Day I began,
Makin’ this boy into a man.
And from that day on,
I was livin’ life for two.
Baby Chance; just me and you. 

Verse 3
Sold that new truck graduation day,
Grow up real quick when there’s bills to pay.
And I didn’t have no time to be lookin’ back.
Got me a job just to get us through,
Home was a road lined with tin lean-to’s. 

Repeat Chorus 

Verse 4
Well I don’t know what the future brings,
But holding you, I got everything.
Buddy, you’re the reason why I do what I do.
You ain’t just some wild seed I’ve sowed,
Took my stand at the old crossroads. 

Repeat Chorus 

Tag
We’re gonna make it through,
Baby Chance just me and you.