The sad old man gave me this coat for free;
it did not mean much to his gray old eyes.
He spent his life pursuing just one dream 
Until he lost it all in just one day.
As if the jacket represented hope,
He gave away the coat and said "I quit."

In younger years he never thought to quit;
His thoughts romantic and his spirit free,
And every day he thrived off his own hope
That he and his true love would soon meet eyes.
Idealistic thoughts ran in those days
Inside his head whenever he would dream. 

He met at thirty the girl of his dreams;
In loving her he said he'd never quit.
And even though it rained on Wedding Day,
No one could stop them now, the two were free
To stare forever at each other's eyes
And feel a surge of love and faith and hope.

But things for him were sure, he need not hope 
that nothing would demolish this, his dream.
But his lone wish brought blindness to his eyes,
For when she became sick he wouldn't quit
And just kept thinking they're forever free.
He took for granted life that fateful day.

She just got worse and worse with every day
and tried to tell him that there was no hope.
She wanted death to come so she'd be free
from all the pain that nonstop blocked her dreams.
Despite his hope and love, she had to quit, 
A horrid darkness overcame her eyes.

And when she died he had to trust his eyes,
Truth took away his dreamworld on that day,
He faced that facts, and this romantic quit
Believing things like love and faith and hope.
He knew it then; there's a lie in every dream
Because with death no one is ever free.

When in his eyes I saw this lack of hope
I knew that day that I must always dream;
The man who quits will never become free.