Intro
[G] [C]
Verse 1
[C]
What's your hurry, Jim?
[C]
One more drink won't hurt nothing.
[Am] [F]
Well, okay, I said, then I gotta be running.
[G]
You see, my little Julie just turned 16 today.
[C]
And tonight she's going out on her very first date.
[Am]
Lord knows I never been much of a father.
[F]
Probably spent more time right here
[G]
Than I have at home with my daughter.
[C]
So tonight I'm making up for a lot of lost time
[Am] [F] [G] [C]
A lot of hurt feelings and a lot of broken promises.
Chorus
[F] [C]
For once in my life, I'm gonna do something right.
[G] [C]
I'm gonna be home for my Julie tonight.
[F] [C]
It's her 16th birthday and you know it's her first date.
[G] [C]
This is one promise that I'm not gonna break.
Verse 2
[C]
Oh, come on, have one more, Jim.
[Am]
You got plenty of time.
[F] [G]
But that one led to many and I lost track of the time.
[C]
When I looked at my watch, it was a quarter till 8.
[Em]
So I left in a hurry since I was already late.
[F]
As I got closer to I started to think
[G] [C]
Won't do me no harm to have me one more drink.
[Am]
So I reached for the bottle I kept under the seat.
[F] [G]
When I looked up, my whole life passed right in front of me.
[C] [Em]
Next thing I remembered, I was just coming to in a hospital bed.
[F]
Right then I knew that I'd caused something awful to happen last night
[G]
On my way home to Julie to set myself right
Interlude
[C] [Am] [F] [G]
Oooooo Ooo Oo-oo-oo-oo
Verse 3
[C]
At the foot of the bed stood my best friend Lou.
[Em]
He walked to my side and asked what he could do.
[F]
I said, Lou, I know I won't make it.
[G]
But don't let me die not knowing the truth
[C]
About what happened last night.
[Am]
He said, Jim, you lost control.
[F] [G]
Crossed the yellow line, hit a car head-on.
[G]
And Lord, I wish I was lying.
[C] [Em]
Cause a young man was injured and a lovely girl died.
[F] [G]
And I thought about that last drink and tears filled my eyes.
[C] [Am]
I said, Lou, should I pass on before she comes in
[F] [G]
Be sure and tell Julie how sorry I am for spoiling her birthday.
[C] [Em]
He said, Jim, you can save your breath.
[F] [G] N.C. [C]
Cause when you meet her in heaven you can tell her yourself.
Chorus
[F] [C]
For once in my life, I'm gonna do something right.
[G] [C]
I'm gonna be home for my Julie tonight.
[F] [C]
It's her 16th birthday and you know it's her first date.
[G] [C]
This is one promise that I'm not gonna break.
