Los Angeles, CA–
“Well, it might as well be China,
Or the dark side of the moon.
There’s no way I can be there every Friday afternoon.”
Country singer Craig Morgan (pictured) has a powerful song about a post-divorce move-away called Every Friday Afternoon. It captures the way the move-away is often a devastating blow to the post-divorce father-child relationship.
The mom in the song gives the standard rap–she supposedly has a great new job in a different city, it’s OK that dad won’t be around any more because her parents live there, everything will be better wherever she’s going, and dad can still talk to his kids on the phone, etc., etc.
To watch the music video, click here. The lyrics are below.
The move-away issue is one I’ve often written about–to learn more, see my co-authored columns Is a Pool More Important than a Dad? (San Francisco Chronicle, 5/4/04) and No Virtue in Virtual Visitation (Boston Globe, 7/12/02). To learn more about our two campaigns over move-away legislation in California, click here.
We’ll put Every Friday Afternoon in our divorced dad song collection, along with Trace Adkins’ I’m Tryin’, Doug Supernaw’s I Don’t Call Him Daddy, Toby Keith’s Who’s That Man?, Tim McGraw’s Do You Want Fries With That?, and Sting’s I’m So Happy I Can’t Stop Crying, which was also later recorded by Toby Keith.
Craig Morgan’s Every Friday Afternoon
She called me up this mornin’,
Said: “There’s somethin’ you should know.
“There’s a job back home in Boston,
“And I think I’m gonna go.
“My parents are in Cambridge,
“An’ I’ve got some old friends there.
“An’ I know you think this isn’t fair.”
And the tears started fallin’,
There was nothin’ I could say.
Even if I fight it, someone loses either way.
Whoa, it might as well be China,
Or the dark side of the moon.
There’s no way I can be there every Friday afternoon.
I have him every weekend,
He’s got his own room here.
He’s all that’s kept me goin’,
These last three years.
There’s little league in Boston,
Oh, but who will coach his team.
How’s he gonna grow up without me.
And the tears started fallin’,
There was nothin’ I could say.
Even if I fight it, someone loses either way.
Whoa, it might as well be China,
Or the dark side of the moon.
There’s no way I can be there every Friday afternoon.
What about Christmas?
If I can’t get off of work?
What about his birthday?
If I’m not there, he’ll be hurt.
And I know the day is comin’,
When she’ll find someone new,
But he’ll never love him like I do.
Well, it might as well be China,
Or the dark side of the moon.
There’s no way I can be there every Friday afternoon.