Stephen Colbert closed out his final Colbert Report the way he began it 9 years ago, with his greatest recurring segment, "The Word," and the valuable concept of truthiness.

"On my very first show, I told you truth doesn't come from your head," he said, "It comes from your gut. And back then, my gut made you a promise. I know some of you may not trust your gut yet, but with my help, you will. And you did."

Then he took a sentimental run through all the importu-mental things he accomplished—or that his audience accomplished, and he got paid for—over the past decade: The Super-Pac, his presidential run, and the Rally to Restore Sanity.

"If we all we achieved over the last nine years was to come into your home each night and help you make a difficult day a little bit better," he closed, "man, what a waste. And, nation, I want you to know, if I had to do it all again, if I could do it with you, I would do it the same. And that's the Word."

Sure, "Stephen Colbert" wasn't a real guy—just a cap worn lightly by someone we don't entirely know yet—but in a nation that finally learned to trust its guts, a lot of guts are crying tonight. (Gross, but metaphorically true!)

For old time's sake, here's the first Word, from October 17, 2005: