"tend the garden" lyrics

I was young, it was the 60's you see
I never wanted to be the chief of anything
So it was singing in the church for me
Behind the organ was as close as I'd ever be
There was a woman that I knew before
She was in Auckland, she was spoken for
My hair was short, my skin was brown
I did construction work from town to town
There were things we did and should not have done
Been half a century since I seen my sons

Lord knows if
They would ever forgive me, I won't
Forgive myself at least
There are strange forces
In the air only time can unleash
In a way, I still believe

I fell in love, it was the 90's you see
I met a woman across the Tasman in '83
And we settled down and raised a couple kids
But I couldn't bring myself to tell 'em what I did
I hope that one day if they find my sons
They'll tell 'em everything that I've become
And I will hold it till my dying breath
When I tend the garden, I will think of them
But my youngest kid, he can't shut his mouth
I guess it won't be long till the truth is out

Lord knows if
They would ever forgive me, I don't
Forgive myself at least
There are strange forces
In the air only time can release
In a way, I still believe

In the instance of pain
I look straight down at the iris
If the irises fade
I spend days out in the yard
In the absence of rain
I take a seat down at the organ
And I play
Lord, I play
Ah!