Chords for Ron Kenoly- Welcome Home (Song) (Hosanna! Music)

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[Bb] My son Tony, my oldest son, he inspired this next song.
And I guess I need to hang on to this Kleenex
because he makes me cry a lot. _ _ _ _
_ But as you noticed, my oldest son,
that's my oldest son Tony earlier
who was doing some of the announcements
and exhorting you to praise the Lord.
The one with the excess of hair.
Hallelujah, glory to God.
He inspired this next song.
We were living in Oakland, California.
It's back in the mid, early 80s.
And he was 16 and a half years old.
And then one morning he woke up
and had this amazing discovery.
Just a truly amazing discovery, people.
He woke up one morning and discovered he knew everything. _ _
_ I mean, you know, it just,
it just came on him like a flood, you know?
Just discovered he knew [Db] everything.
_ And the relationship that,
the special relationship that we had had
as father and son began to kind of deteriorate.
And it was not too long after [G] that
that we just couldn't see eye to eye
about very many things at all.
And at 16 and a half years old,
he left home and caused my wife and I
to really, really pray.
I mean, you know, we really engaged
in some spiritual warfare,
even though we didn't really call it that at the time.
All we knew is that we needed to pray for that kid.
And we prayed for him.
And he was gone for several years.
And he would call every now and then, collect by the way.
_ _ Let us know that he was still alive.
And then I was so glad.
_ After so many prayers and after so much intercession,
after three, three and a half years,
got a call from him.
He was in Anaheim, California.
It was collect too, again, by the way.
Said, dad, I want to come home.
_ And my first inclination, you know, was to say,
hey, you know, you, you made that bed,
you sleep in it or you, you know,
this is your decision, you know,
you live with it or whatever.
But I'm glad that my heart overruled my head.
And I found myself saying, yes, come on home, son.
The song is called Welcome Home.
And I want to share it with you.
[Gm] _ _ _ _ _
[C] _ _ _ _ [Ab] _ _ [Gm] _ _
[Fm] _ _ _ _ [Eb] The road was straight and narrow
[F] leading to my father's [Ab] house.
The gates were open wide
[Fm] _ [Bb] awaiting my return.
[Gm] Near them stood my father
[Cm] with his arms stretched out to me.
[Ab] With tears [Eb] on his face,
[Fm] I heard him say,
[Gm] welcome home. _
[C] I've missed you so much.
[Fm] My heart has been broken
[Eb] since the day you went away.
[Gm] Welcome home. _
I'll prepare a celebration.
[Eb] Come take your place beside me.
[Fm] You've been gone so long.
_ [Bb] _ _ _
[Ab] Welcome home.
_ _ [Eb] _ _ [F] _ _
[Eb] His hand was on my shoulder
[Fm] as we walked up to the house. _
[Bb] And mom peeped out the front door
[Fm] and then came running out.
[Gm] She threw her arms around me
[Cm] and squeezed me like only mama can.
[Ab] And then kissed me on my cheek.
[Fm] And with my face held in [Bb] her hands,
she said, [Gm] welcome home.
[G] How I've longed for this moment.
[Fm] I've prayed for [Cm] you each night
[Eb] since the [Ab] day you went away.
[Gm] Welcome home.
_ [C] I'll prepare a place for you.
[Ab] My prayers have been answered.
[Fm] Thank you, Jesus.
[Bb] Oh, thank you, Jesus.
[Ab] Welcome home. _ _
[Eb] _ _ _ _ [Cm] Oh, [B] how good it felt
[Bb] to be in my father's house
[Fm] after all the pain and heartache
[Eb] I had put him through.
[G] And [Cm] to know that [B] I'm forgiven
[Bb] and my past has been [F] forgotten.
And to hear [Bb] my family say,
we [Gm] still love you.
[C] _ [Am] Oh, welcome home.
[A] Oh, how sweet the sound.
[D] Those simple [Dm] words, we love you,
[Bb] still echo in my heart.
[Am] Welcome home.
_ No more [A] will I take this [D] place for granted.
[Gm] It's so good to be [F] loved and wanted
after [Gm] you've done wrong.
[C] _ And still be _ _ [Dm] welcomed home. _
[Db] _ _ [Gb] _ _ [Abm] Welcome [F] home.
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