Mama lies on the couch in her old wedding gown 
She turned pale long before the carnival had left town 
She stares at the front porch on the outlook for dad 
"Don't worry, I'll be back in a week" is the last thing he said 
We all knew he gambled in the city and lost 
Money we didn't have must've be the line that he crossed 
It's been over a year instead of a week 
Here in our house, our house by the creek 

Me and my family live in the Netherlands 
In the house that he build with his bare hands 
My younger brother Jimmy is playing outside 
With his cap gun he tries to shoot planes from the sky 
In his chair by the window sits uncle Fred 
Since he's back from the war there ain't a word he has said 
And Freckles my sister as she passed away sir 
Sometimes in my dreams I catch up with dad and with her 
What we end up with is not what we seek 
Here in our house, our house by the creek 

My name is Louis, it's Louis, all right 
I play dad's old accordion all day and all night 
I just turned eleven, so I'm still a kid 
But when I grow up I wanna find out what daddy did 
Mister believe me, I was thought not to cry 
And that family should stay together 'till the day that you die 
Yeah mister believe me, I was thought boys don't cry 
And that the town where you're born is the town where youll die 
That the town where you're born is where youll probably die 

What did God wanna show when He created man weak 
We don't understand in our house by the creek