I was a child once, the fear of the world in my eye
Far from the safety of the other side
I colored by numbers, learned how to tie my own shoes
Like all of the others I just prayed I’d make it through
Prayed I would make it through

Oh mother, look how your boy turned out
Three hundred miles from that small town
You never stopped believing

Oh daddy, it hurt to watch you walking out
But understand, it made me stronger now
And so satisfied, so full of pride
Thank you here from, from the other side

Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh
Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh
Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh

I’ll always remember, the kids and how mean they’d been
Eleven years old and I could, could not fit in
But I made it through high school and college according to plan
Where pressure was never greater to become a man
Would I become a man?

Oh mother, look how your boy turned out
Three hundred miles from that small town
You never stopped believing

Oh daddy, it hurt to watch you walking out
But understand, it made me stronger now
I'm so satisfied, so full of pride
Thank you here from, from the other side
Thank you here from, from the other side

Mother, look how your boy turned out
Three hundred miles from that small town
Dad, it hurts to watch you walking out
Hear the piano do the crying now

For all the preachers and the teachers now
For all the ones who never let me down
I’m so satisfied, so full of pride
Standing here on, on the other side
Thank you here from, from the other side
Thank you here from, from the other side

Here on, on the other side I’m taking my time, oh
There’s nothing to fear
There’s nothing to worry about on the other side
I remember when I thought I’d never find, oh
The other side