Cold Case s01e17 Episode Script

March 11, 1987 Come on, guys! Over here, now! Listen up, listen up.
We're down one and we need a score.
You boys do what I tell you, you'll be state champinos! I want the ball in Herman's hand.
The rest of you guys just clear out of his way, you understand? All right, bring it in.
Saints on three.
- One, two, three - Saints! Herman Put us your back and get us a win.
Let's go, Herman, baby! Herman, Herman, do your uncle right, baby.
Do your uncle right! Please, Lord, give young Herman the strength to do me right.
Please! Come on, Herman.
Come on, baby.
Let's do it, baby.
Come on.
You figure 6:00 a.
m.
's the right time to start the day, boss? These guys have been here for an hour, Lil.
You ever hear of Herman Lester? No.
Ah, he's only the best basketball player who ever lived.
Yeah? / And died.
He was murdered on a playground court in 1987.
Never sloved.
So what are we doing here? You see the kid with the ball? That's Herman's son.
Ball never touches the floor.
And make the layup now.
Let's go! John.
/ Coach.
- Thanks for coming.
- No problem.
This is Detective Rush.
- Nice to meet you.
- Pleasure.
Look, look, watch this.
Doesn't have Herman's size, but more range.
And the same confidence.
I tell you, John, it's like coaching Herman all over again.
Hey, Ray! Come here! Let's have him walk us through this phone call he got.
Some kind of threat? Ray, these are Philadelphia police.
Gonna help us out.
Hey.
/ Hey.
Hi, Ray.
Want to tell us about the phone call you got? Not much to it.
I'm home, pick up the phone and hear.
If I play Friday night, I'm gonna get the screwdriver, just like my dad.
Screwdriver? It was the murder weapon.
So what's Friday night? State championship.
Uh, no idea who it was male, female, young, old? Male.
Can't say about the rest.
Ray, you having any problem in school? Any issues on or off the court? Nah.
Things are cool.
Okay, Ray.
Thanks.
Back out there.
I need him in the lineup Friday.
Do really think this threat is connected to Herman's murder? Well, the kid's a phenom like his dad.
They both lead their teams to the state championship.
Herman gets murdered, now Ray gets this death threat.
Enough connection for me.
We'll check with the phone company, see if we can trace where the call came from.
And pull Herman Lester's case.
Cold Case 1x17 The Lost Soul Of Herman Lester ORIGINAL AIR DATE ON CBS: 2004/03/14 I wish you'd have eaten more.
- I ate all the melon.
- Yeah.
Yeah, and you made sure the home fries didn't go to waste.
I like being out here.
In the cold.
I'll get you a cab.
/ Yeah? What? What is it? There's a giant behind you.
What? Well, look for yourself.
Yeah, look for yourself.
Oh, man.
What what are you doing here? Just getting my coffee.
What are you doing here? Uh, uh, just, uh, coffee.
- Will Jeffries.
- Elisa.
Sorry.
Bonehead.
We work together.
Pleasure to meet you.
See you at work, Scotty.
Yeah.
So, uh, a cab, right? Guess, uh, Jeffries is kind of a giant, ain't he? Probably should've said "big".
If Herman Lester had lived, folks around here would think of Dr.
J as just another player.
Come on, boss.
The good doctor would jump so high, he could pick a dollar off the top of the backboards.
Scotty, Herman Lester would leave change.
Whatever Herman did, he returned to earth and caught the wrong end of a Phillips screwdriver.
Yeah.
Pierced once through the heart.
And bled out like a mere mortal on the court at Player's Park.
Suspects? One.
Billy Berkenpass, a teammate.
Good player in his own right, but no Herman.
Says here that was the problem.
Berknepass hated playing second fiddle to Herman.
Attitude got him booted off the team.
He missed the state championship same night Herman dead.
Yeah, he lost out in love, too.
Tanya Williams dumped Berkenpass for Herman a few months earlier.
Double motive.
Footnote says maybe Herman was iced by a bagman from a top 20 school? Sounds like urban legend.
Yeah, smart money was on Berkenpass.
On top of everything else.
at an after-game party that night.
So why didn't he go down? No hard evidence, and he had an alibi.
Time of the murder, he claimed he was home with his dad.
Aw, Dad vouching for you ain't exactly airtight.
Are we sure this job is connected to Ray's death threat? Well, seems like it.
Especially since the threat was made from a pay phone at the City Center Rec.
Yeah, and guess who hoops it up there, every day over lunch hour.
Berkenpass.
Your son says he was with you the night Herman Lester was killed.
Yeah, we sat in front of the tube till 3:00 a.
m.
You always watch TV that late? No, just that night.
Good, Bad and the Ugly was on.
Got a pretty specific memory there.
I've only been asked the question about 90 times.
Hey, hey, hey! No reason for you to touch that.
So, that night Billy must've been pretty steamed, after what happened to him.
What do you mean? Him getting kicked off the team, missing the big game.
My kid got screwed.
Plus, Herman taking up with his ex-girlfriend, Tanya, right? Got screwed twice.
He was better off losing the girl.
You didn't like her? I don't like any girls in the picture.
Women weaking legs.
That's no good for basketball.
Look, it's admirable, - you defending your boy all the time - Yeah, somebody had to.
Within 24 hours, you cops were all over that boy for the murder of Lester.
The kid was 17 years old.
I guess you didn't get enough, 'cause now you're at it again.
Why are you asking about Herman? We're reopening his murder case.
No, leave it alone.
Leave it.
Tanya, we think looking at Herman's case will help your son's situation.
How? Tanya, let Uncle Freddie handle this.
I'm the man who raised Herman, and I been like a father to Ray, too.
So tell me.
How will it help? We think Billy Berkenpass may have made the call to Ray.
- That's the dude who killed dad? - We don't know that.
Oh, that white boy was so jealous of your pop! Freddie, don't start.
Ray, you recognize this guy? Oh, man that's The Ghost.
"The Ghost"? When I'm out playing pickup, he's there watching.
White dude looks at me funny.
How long's this been going on? Ever since I started making a name for myself.
Maybe about two years ago.
- The Ghost ever approach you? - Nah.
That's it! Uncle Freddie's stepping in.
Ray ain't playing Friday.
You said there'd be security, right? / Right.
No, no, no! No risk! The boy is going League, understand? League? NBA pro scouts already got Ray marked down as a first-round draft choice.
Ray hasn't decided where he's going next year, Freddie, so shut it.
Hopefully, we clear this whole thing before the game.
Are you sure Billy called my son? Not a hundred percent.
I never believed he killed Herman.
No? Me and Billy dated.
I knew him.
It'd really help if you'd tell us what you remember about that night, Tanya.
We won the state championship then there was a party.
Philly Tech says he's their guy.
But off the court, this man is mine.
Where the hell's Herman? Billy what are you doing here? Being friends.
Isn't that what you said, Tanya? We'd be friends? Yo, don't be mad at her, man.
Okay, I'll be mad at you.
You take my girl, I'm supposed to be cool with it? - Oh, man, you're drunk.
- Don't you walk away from me Let him up, let him up, let him up! Come on.
Get off him! Get off him.
You want to talk, Billy? No.
I'm on your home court here.
I'll catch you later.
How did Herman end up in Player's Park that night? He'd go there to clear his head.
What's Player's Park? It's across town.
It's where your dad died.
Back in Herman's day that's where a player would go to prove himself.
We'll let you know what we find out, Tanya.
- Billy Berkenpass? - Yes? Detectives Valens and Rush.
Can we have a minute? Doing real good, Michael.
Can we? Should have known you people would show up.
Why is that? Everyone knows Ray Lester got a death threat.
I'm sure you think I made it.
The call was made from the City Center Rec.
Where you play ball every day.
Guess someone's trying to make me look bad.
We got some prints off the phone.
One of them gonna be yours, Billy.
I'll let you find that out for yourself.
Let's talk about 1987, when your teammate Herman died Knew this was coming.
not long after Tanya broke up with you for him.
That pretty hard on you? Yeah.
First heartbreak.
What happened? Black girl.
White guy.
The world wasn't rooting for us.
Hey, sports question: think much of Ray's game? Paper says he's the second coming of Herman.
- What do you say? - I've seen him a lot.
He's as good as advertised.
I didn't call that kid, I didn't kill Herman.
Right.
"Home with your dad.
" So, if it wasn't you, Billy, who was it? Recuriting was out of control over Herman.
One coach handed him a motel key, said he had a super model waiting for him.
Saying Herman took that room key? Not that one, but I saw him take another key.
I mean, who knows how many programs Herman took gifts from.
But a player can only make one school happy.
Herman was about to piss off a university, so they kill him? Pretty far out theory, Billy.
Maybe not a president, or a dean, but you'd be suprised what the round ball's made grown men do.
Yeah, there was a car for a day.
I got right in Herman's face, told him the car goes back where it came from.
Which was where? Well, that I didn't need to know.
Bottom line, Herman was on the bus the next day.
Billy Berkenpass thinks Herman received other under-the-table gifts.
Billy Berkenpass has been trying to muddy Herman's name since the day I kicked him off the team.
What happened there? I guess enough time has passed.
I'll tell you.
That's right.
I'm talking about you and Big Ed Brown.
- You better watch your mouth, man! - Hey, what the hell's problem? - Herman don't want to win tonight.
- That's crap! 'Cause his bookie, Big Ed Brown, he owns Herman.
That's not true, coach.
Come on.
Then why'd he offer me 500 bucks to join you in messing the game? - Don't you lie, Billy.
- It's the truth.
He's on the take.
You gonna talk about Herman like that you're off this team! Coach! / You're off this team! He'd saying anything to take down to Herman.
Attitude problem three years running.
Nothing to his allegations? Herman won the game for us.
Shook four guys and dunked on a seven-footer.
End of story, okay? End of story.
- Oh! Boy, he missed a bunny.
- That's like three in a row.
- '87 State Championship? - Yeah.
Herman's last night on earth.
He turned the ball over again.
Okay, and now here's the end.
Okay.
Freeze it, Scotty.
Now, he just won the championship, and everyone else is going wild, but look at Herman.
Nothing.
Maybe he agreed to throw the game, but in the end couldn't do it.
That would explain why he's not smiling.
And maybe why he got killed.
So, was that the lady keeps calling you? Don't do that.
- Do what? - Sneak up on me.
- I'm not sneaking up on you.
- I meant just like on the street with Elisa.
Look, don't shadow me, okay? Especially if you see me with her.
What was that about? I don't know.
Guy's losing it? Hey, boss.
For you.
Big Ed Brown, the guy Berkenpass said approached him.
Longtime bookie.
Illegal lottery, bookmaking; spanked with a bunch of probation, no jail time.
Maybe Vice has something on him.
See if I can get a hammer on him.
Hey, where's Lil? Went to check with Ray to see if he's been approached about throwing this Friday's game.
Mm.
See if history's repeating itself.
Ray, can I steal you for a minutes? You catch that guy who called me? / Not yet.
I gotta ask you, Ray, did anyone offer you money to fix the game this Friday? No way.
How about other games during the season? College boosters putting pressure on you, or? Coach keeps all the shady dudes away.
But coach can't be everywhere at once, you know? Why you asking this stuff? Recuriting was crazy for your dad.
People were trying to get to him in all sorts of ways.
And I figure it's like that for you, too.
Yeah, it can be crazy.
So maybe you're up against some of the same things your dad was.
Now you're saying my dad made a shady deal? I'm not saying that.
Or if he didn't make it, that got him killed? Ray, I don't know what happened yet, but I want to find out for you.
I thought that Berkenpass dude killed him.
Right, he was the primary suspect.
But maybe my dad got iced over someone fixing a game, over what school he was gonna play for? Over ball? Try not to guess too much, Ray.
Remember, we just need to look at all the possibilities.
Never met no Billy Berkenpass.
Well, he says he met you, Big Ed, 17 years back.
Nah.
/ How 'bout Herman Lester? Hey, you like fedora hats, Big Ed? They look good on me.
Great.
You can wear one for your mug shot, like Al Capone.
Capone? You don't get chatty real quick here, I got my pal at the IRS comb over your income taxes, blow your betting operation open, Big Ed's out of business.
Maybe I do remember young Herman.
I was hoping.
But I was better acquainted with his Uncle Freddie.
Oh, man, ay Oh Big Ed, thank you for coming.
Only reason I'm here is 'cause you owe me five grand.
Now, where is it? There's been some complications.
Brother man, that is the wrong answer.
Yo, but, I got the right answer.
But I need one more day.
See, I got a plan.
You know, it's fool proof, too.
Check it out.
Yeah, let it rain, Herman, let it rain! Yo, man, you best pull out your umbrella, cause you is getting soaked, dog.
You got to give me one more day.
See, Herman Lester's my nephew, and the boy's got a lot of love for me, so, see, with tomorrow night's game I'm gonna get him to do me a little favor.
You telling me you can get that boy to turn the state championship out? I can make it happen.
Yo, Herman! - Who loves you, baby? - You do, Uncle Fred.
That's what I'm talking about.
Freddie had that kind of influence over Herman? I wasn't sold.
So, I paid a visit to the Berkenpass kid.
How'd that go down? It didn't.
And with no insurance, I decided to sit that game out.
But the way Herman played, it seemed like Freddie did have him on a string.
All I know is when it was over, Freddie still owed me money.
That must have had him running scared.
Sure, but he slowed down.
Maybe you've noticed Freddie don't walk so good no more.
You got some riding on this Friday's game, Freddie? What do you mean? Trying to keep Ray out of playing, so you can score some bets? Just like you tried to score off his dad in '87.
/ What now? We know you asked Herman to throw the game the night he died.
Come on, now, if I did that, why did they win, huh? Logic, Freddie.
Just 'cause they won don't mean you didn't ask him.
I was in full support of Herman's career.
But you owed the money to Big Ed Brown.
I paid Big Ed.
/ Late.
That's why you got your knees broke.
But first you tried to fix the Tech game to cash in on it, 'cause you didn't want your knees broke.
- Who does? - I talked to Big Ed.
He told me you promised Herman would lose that game.
Why didn't you say so at the top, huh? The truth, Freddie.
It wasn't my proudest moment.
Herman, this is a one-time, and one-time only thing now.
- I can't believe you're asking me this! - You think I wanna be asking? I'm embarrassed, man.
I can hardly look you in the eye.
Can't you work this out with Big Ed? This is working it out.
Don't you get that.
He's gonna hurt me, for keeps, man, understand? - Freddielisten, - Herman, you're gonna have everything in this life, man.
The good Lord didn't give me the talent he gave you.
That's okay, I make do but I'm asking you, this once, toss this dog a bone.
No, I can't do it.
I'm sorry, no.
But when Herman played so bad that night, it looked he might come through for you after all.
Gave you hope during the whole game right up to the buzzer.
- That must have pissed you off.
- No, no, no! Ungrateful kid won't step up for the man who was a father figure to him.
So maybe you're the one who lowered the boom on Herman.
That's an outrage, you saying that! What's wrong? Ray's missing.
Could Ray have skipped out on practice? / No, no, no.
Ray doesn't miss practice.
He comes early, leaves late always.
Maybe he just went somewhere to clear his head.
- You think Billy has him? - I'm gonna go see Billy right now.
Can I come? Yeah.
Hey, Freddie.
Stay close.
Could the timing be worse? Did Ray have somewhere he had to be? Yeah.
He had visit from two Big Ten schools tonight.
What's more important here, coach? I don't expect you to understand.
/ Blake.
I understand a 17-year-old's missing.
That's important.
Out on the street, boss.
This is craziness.
My baby's all over the place and I can't find him.
- He can't be far.
- I can't lose him, too.
Look Where is he? Where's my baby? - Tanya, what are you? - What'd you do with him? - I don't know what you mean.
- Ray's been missing all afternoon.
They say you watch him! Come on, Tanya.
That ain't gonna help.
- T, I wouldn't hurt your kid.
- How about her kid's father? I believed you, Billy.
I was the one person who didn't think you killed Herman.
So keep believing.
I wouldn't do anything to hurt you.
Not then, not now.
How'd you find this place? Asked some old timers.
I've put up 'bout a hundred jumpers, but didn't know where the right spot was.
What spot? Where he died.
Do you know? The write-up said on that free throw line.
For Herman Lester.
You make it look easy.
I'm glad you're doing this.
Finding out 'bout my dad.
Yeah? 'Cause I never could.
Asking her anything 'bout him brings her to her knees.
Your mom.
I never knew him, but that don't mean I don't wanna hear about him or find out how come he got killed.
You gonna play tomorrow? Starting to think that call I got was no joke.
No one'll blame you if you sit the game out.
Coach will.
'Course, player's the last thing Freddie wants me to do.
What's in it for him? Freddie got me connected with all the shoe companies.
I go league, he gets taken care of.
And you think you owe Freddie.
I owe coach, too.
What does he want you to do? / College.
See there's two or three schools that want me.
I thought every school wanted you.
Yeah, but there's two or three that want both me and coach.
See, so if I sign that letter of intent, coach comes along, part of a package deal.
Turns out if Ray decides to go to a certain college, Coach Lein benefits big.
So, is coach aiming to take the same ride on Herman's back 17 years ago? And how badly did he want it? Maybe the gambling angle isn't the answer.
Did Herman ever say where he was going to school? No one knew.
There was a new rumor every day: Kansas, Iowa, Duke She'd probably know.
Sorry, boss.
Don't let this change the investigation.
Thank you for finding him.
/ Sure.
Tanya, had Herman made a decision about where he was going to college? Temple.
He was gonna announce it the next day.
The Owls head coach is John Chaney.
He's always run a clean program.
He does not to do "favors".
So maybe Coach wanted Herman to go somewhere else where they did do "favors".
Coach wanted him down in Florida.
Temple's not the place.
I've already made up my mind, coach.
You'll end up at the wrong program, you get lost in the shuffle.
Doesn't matter how talented you are.
Down in Florida, I can look out for you.
- I got responsibilities here.
- What do you mean? Tanya's pregnant.
- Okay, so Tanya comes, too.
- No, it's no good.
What? / No! Damn it, Herman, we need to stay together.
This is my shot, too! Haven't I always been there for you? So, Coach finds out things aren't going the way he wants them to.
Six hours before Herman dies.
John.
- You saved the day, finding Ray.
- Talk to her.
You get those college meetings rescheduled, coach? It's plan "B", if Ray doesn't play tonight.
But I know he will.
You're counting on it, aren't you? Whatever you say, Missy.
I think this room's got the wrong population, boss.
Lots of opinions from that one.
Blake, the last 24 hours we've been looking at you for Herman's murder.
You kiddin' me? When Herman broke the news that he was going to Temple, I know you had a lot on the line.
He was hurting your future.
John, we're friends.
We're going to hear you out one way or another, Blake.
It's better if you and I do it here and now.
Now, I know you got a deep drive.
All of us got one somewhere, and it will either make you a winner, or take you down.
I need you to make a gut check here, pal.
Me and Herman we had a moment of truth.
You been in here the whole time? / Yeah.
Trying to wait me out like I'd just go home? Don't you walk away from me.
Hey! Coach! You think you can just go, after all I've done for you? You won us a state championship tonight, I'm standing here crying the blues.
That's pretty piss poor.
Good luck at Temple, son.
I never saw Herman again.
Okay, thanks.
Prints from the City Center Rec pay phone came in.
Guess who we got a match on? Berkenpass? His father.
What's the big deal? So, I made a call.
Get off my property.
Not just a call, a "terrorist threat".
Come on.
No joke.
So I were you, I'd put that wood down.
Why use the phone at the Rec? You and your son dream that up together? - My son didn't know I was there.
- Noontime he was in the gym.
You telling me you two didn't cross paths? We never do.
We got no relationship.
Why's that? Billy wasn't athletic, he had no foot speed to talk about, so we made him a shooter.
Developed the purest stroke you'd ever want to see.
It didn't happen overnight.
I'd feed them and feed them and feed them and there wasn't a night that we left that gym without him hitting 15 in a row.
What's that have to do with you not having a realtionship? He quit on me.
What, you don't tell me what happened? You just let me show up at the game! I was embarrassed.
Son, if you would've told me, I would've helped.
But now it doesn't matter if it's not true because the word's out, you're a bad seed.
I'm sorry.
Up, up, up.
Chin up.
Listen, we may not get more than a junior college offer, but two years, we're right back on track.
Dad, it's over! I'm done! Don't let this break your spirit.
I'm not, dad.
I don't care about being on track! I just want playing ball to be fun again.
Fun? Billy, you go home and you get your suitcase and when you're done having fun and you come back and you see me! Billy never plays organized ball again, you draw a line through his name? We do what we do.
Now and then I'll go back and watch him shoot at the Rec.
Those are old wounds.
So why all of a sudden make this call to Ray? Now, leaving the Rec that day, seeing Ray Lester's face splattered all over like these people are the First Family of Basketball or something that nonsense had to stop once and for all.
We got to arrest you for making that threat.
- Hey, for crying out loud.
- Come on.
You got to come with us.
Prints were in the system 'cause of a bar brawl three years back.
I talked to the guy that got beat down by him.
Said it all started 'cause the barflies were talking about the late great Herman Lester.
still smarting over that? This guy's got deep feelings about his son not playing ball.
- Disowned him over it.
- Maybe killed over it.
Problem is, the Berkenpass alibi goes both ways.
- Covers Billy but also covers the dad.
- Ah, Senior won't give it up.
So work on Junior.
We just need some last questions answered, then we'll leave you alone.
We got a new suspect, Billy.
Good for you.
Need the straight story on your alibi.
/ Straight story? You were in your car? Shooting hoops? Doesn't matter we just got to hear where you really were.
Watching TV with my dad.
Maybe we got to level with Billy.
He's gonna find out anyway.
Pops put the death threat on Ray.
My dad? You surprised? 'Cause you look surprised.
But the funny thing is, you look it and you don't.
My guess is, you never knew your dad killed Herman either.
But, right now in this moment you do.
'Cause you and dad never watched TV that night.
Can I just go now? Sure.
We'll walk you out.
Ray's just taking care of some paperwork.
Hey, you want to meet him, Billy? / No, thanks.
Yeah, we keep arguing over whether he looks like his pops or not.
He does a little.
Yeah, but the difference is, Ray's walking away from the game.
W-Walking away? / He's mixed up about how his dad died.
Figures Herman made a wrong decision and maybe that's what killed him.
Why's he think that? He didn't know anything about his dad.
Looks like another Lester won't reach his potential.
Maybe I-I will say hi to him.
Sure.
Hey, kid.
I want to tell you something about him.
And that night.
I wasn't at home with my dad.
I-I was with Herman.
Got to hand it to you.
Only Herman Lester can play ball that bad and still get carried off the court like a king.
Final score's all that counts.
Keep telling yourself that.
You think I tried to throw the game tonight? - Yeah, I do.
- You're wrong.
Then why did you play like a buster? You.
What? Everybody thinks I'm this one-man show.
But it's you that gets me the ball in the paint.
When I'm double-teamed, you always hit the J.
But you weren't there tonight.
Billy we haven't been friends but we've been a team, right? Your dad was stand-up.
There was all this junk around us, everyone trying to make us enemies.
But he-he jsut followed his instincts and they were good.
The man was good.
We talked to your boy Billy, Mr.
Berkenpass.
He burned your alibi.
Why would he do that? 'Cause he didn't kill Herman Lester.
You did.
Billy said that? Want us to bring him in here? No.
It was always awkward for Billy and me.
Basketball was the way that I could be his dad, see? That was our whole relationship.
That night when I told Billy to pack his bags, I I wanted to take it back.
Why didn't you? I followed after him.
Wound up at Player's Park and I watched Herman and Billy.
I watched them shaking hands.
That wasn't a good thing? That was him giving up.
I knew that he wasn't gonna play again.
That was the end of one thing that we had in common.
Oh, hey, Mr.
B.
You're looking for Billy, you just missed him.
Yeah.
Think he said he was headed home.
Then I guess I'll see him there, then.
Are you okay, sir? You, uh look a little off.
Good game tonight.
~~ Bruce Springsteen "Walk Like a Man" ~~ ~~ I remember how rough your hand felt on mine ~~ ~~ On my wedding day ~~ ~~ And the tears cried on my shoulder ~~ ~~ I couldn't turn away ~~ ~~ Well so much has happened to me ~~ ~~ That I don't understand ~~ ~~ All I can think of is being five years old ~~ ~~ following behind you at the beach ~~ ~~ Tracing your footprints in the sand ~~ ~~ Trying to walk like a man ~~ ~~ Good bye Our Lady of the Roses ~~ ~~ We lived in the shadow of the elms ~~ ~~ I remember ma draggin' me and ~~ ~~ my sister up the street to the church ~~ ~~ Whenever she heard those wedding bells ~~ ~~ Well would they ever look so happy again ~~ ~~ The handsome groom and his bride ~~ ~~ As they stepped into that long black limousine ~~ ~~ For their mystery ride ~~ ~~ Well tonight you step away from me ~~ ~~ And alone at the altar I stand ~~ ~~ And as I watch my bride coming down the aisle I pray ~~ ~~ For the strength to walk like a man ~~ ~~ Well now the years have gone and I've grown ~~ ~~ From that seed you've sown ~~ ~~ But I didn't think there'd be so many steps ~~ ~~ I'd have to learn on my own ~~ ~~ Well I was young and I didn't know what to do ~~ ~~ When I saw your best steps stolen away from you ~~ ~~ Now I'll do what I can ~~