Abilene Airport, six am, he had a teary little woman holding on to him
saying, "Promise me, Billy, you'll call me when you reach L.A."
He said, "I'm keeping your number, honey, right up here."
He was tapping on his temple, but the point was clear, he had no intention of ever coming back, no way

He was long gone...long, long gone
skipping like a stone,
he packed up his heart and he was long gone

Two packs of peanuts and a Canada Dry
Had him thinking what a luxury it was to fly
Just memories now, somewhere in the distant past
it was the best way out of a love that wasn't meant to last

He was long gone...long, long gone
skipping like a stone,
he packed up his heart and he was long gone

Nine months later on a tv show,
He saw a teary little woman that he used to know,
saying, "Lord, yes, Oprah, he left me back in Abilene"
Then she flashed his picture for the world to see,
Said, "If anybody knows this lousy SOB,
Tell him Junior's hungry, there ain't nothing in this world for free!"

He was long gone...long, long gone
skipping like a stone,
he packed up his heart and he was long gone