Looks like Iain MacKintosh may have adapted the song to fit a more personal situation to him. I understand, I did the same thing about 10+ years ago. I put my version on a cassette that I sent out to friends and relatives. It was hard enough to record and I never have sung it live in public. here are the Steve Goodman lyrics as printed on the album sleeve of his "Say It In Private" album. I think Steve once did it live on Austin City Limits.

MY OLD MAN
(Steve Goodman, 1977 Big Ear Music & Red Pajamas Music)

I miss my old man tonight
And I wish he was here with me
With his corny jokes and his cheap cigars
He could look you in the eye and sell you a car.
That's not an easy thing to do,
But no one ever knew
A more charming creature on this earth
Than my old man.

He was a pilot in the big war In the U.S. Army Air Corps
In a C-47 with a heavy load
Full of combat cargo for the Burma Road.
And after they dropped the bomb
He came home and married Mom
And not long after that
He was my old man.

And oh the fights we had
When my brother and I got him mad;
He'd get all boiled up and he'd start to shout
And I knew what was coming so I tuned him out.
And now the old man's gone,
And I'd give all I own
To hear what he said when I wasn't listening
To my old man.

I miss my old man tonight
I can almost see his face
He was always trying to watch his weight
And his heart only made to fifty-eight.
And for the first time since he died
Late last night I cried.
I wondered when I was gonna do that
For my old man.

rich r ^^