Back-story:
Ideas for songs come from just about anywhere. Books, songs,
movies, news articles, nature, family, friends, and events are just a few sources
that come to mind. I have many ideas floating around in me, just waiting to
come out. Some come out quickly, but some stay with me for a long time before
they materialize. Here is one that took quite some time before it was ready.
In 2,000, Siobhan and I were playing at Fiddler’s Green, an
Irish bar in Rochester, NY. Jim and Margie Hastings were there for dinner for
the first time because they won a gift certificate to the restaurant. They
stayed for the entire show, and we got to chatting with them for quite some
time when the show was over. We connected and a friendship was born. At
subsequent shows at Fiddler’s Green, Jim and Margie brought their four
children, Pat, Kenny, Katie, and Dan, and it did not take long before we became
part of the family.
As the years rolled on, Jim, Margie, and the kids continued
to support our music at a wide variety of venues. One night, we were scheduled
to play at Borders, a bookstore in Henrietta, NY. Jim, Margie, and their
youngest son, Dan, came to see us, and when they got to the bookstore, we
informed them we had been double-booked. The five of us decided to hang out
together at another restaurant, and since Dan was with us and only ten years
old, we Chose Chuckie Cheese so that he would have something to do while the
adults chatted.
As Jim, Margie, Siobhan, and I chatted listening to the
sounds of children playing games at Chuckie Cheese, Jim reminded Margie of some
special event that occurred for them back before they were married. Margie
could not recall this event, and Jim made several attempts to stimulate her
memory. After failing several times, Jim, in total frustration, humorously
said, “It was back when you were cute, and I had all my hair.”
For some reason, Jim’s comment became imprinted in my mind. I
played around with it for several years, and finally it became the last line of
a somewhat catchy chorus that depicts a man enjoying an evening by the fire
with his wife after many years of a happy marriage.
After getting the chorus together, I had to develop a
setting and story to support it. As with most of my songs, when they are ready
to come out, they do, and this one was ready, and it flowed out within a day. The
setting is merely a three-verse ballad of Jim and Margie’s life together with
their four children. I knew it was a keeper instantly, and now all it needed
was a melody and some chords.
To enhance the tone, mood, and theme of this Humorously
charming upbeat ballad, it was essential to keep the chord progression simple
and the tempo fast. So, that’s just what Siobhan and I did with her bass, my
guitar, harmonica and vocal. After we put the song together, we went over to
record the basic tracks with Rich Cooley, a neighborhood friend. Following
this, we brought in two fine musicians, Perry Cleaveland and Bob Spadafora, to
add some finishing touches. Perry with his mandolin and fiddle created some impressive
sounds, and both Perry and Bob added
some terrific backup harmonies to the chorus.
Following this, Siobhan did an excellent job mixing and mastering the
song on her computer, and she created a nice cover for the single. Hope you have time to give it a listen.
Lyrics:
Verse 1
We met many years ago
and life was simple then
The protest of the
sixties had all come to an end
Bob Dylan and Pete
Seeger had faded from our view
John Prine and Jimmy
Buffett carved a life for me and you
We bought ourselves a
little house with a few trees in the yard
There were cookouts on
the back deck, evenings playing cards
Sitting around a
campfire, singing old folk songs
We thought life couldn’t
get better; then our children came along
We started out with twin
boys, and oh they were a pair
They were followed by a sister
with long blonde curly hair
Thought we’d try for one
more girl to even up the score
But when the stork
arrived, a little boy was at our door
Chorus
You know I like to sit
here with you on these cold and wintery nights
Talk about the old times
as the fire burns so bright
I like to sit and stare
at you in your long underwear
And talk about when you
were cute, and I had all my hair
Verse 2
The kids grew up so
quickly; the years just disappeared
Through the good times
and bad times, we smiled through our tears
We did the best we could
to show them what was right and wrong
And when you can, we
stressed to them; it’s best to get along
We listened to their
music, watched them play their sports
We spent evenings and
weekends on many fields and courts
Through all the wins and
losses, we savored every game
We were destined to be
in the Parents Hall of Fame
We went camping and
skiing in places near and far
As we rolled along the
highway, we sang songs in the car
And when the day was
over at the setting of the sun
We’d sit around a table
and relive all our fun
Chorus
Instrumental Break
Verse 3
Now it’s just the two of
us in this empty nest
The kids are out there
working trying to do their best
They stop by with the
grandkids every now and then
To talk about the old
times and what lies ‘round the bend
We’ve been through some
changes; we’ve put on a few pounds
We’ve learned to roll
much better with all the ups and downs
Your hair has turned
from auburn to a silvery gray
I think mine might have too
if it hadn’t gone away
And even with these
changes, some things still remain
When I look deep into
your eyes, it still drives me insane
And one thing that has
always been and always will be true
The best day of my life
is still the day that I found you
Chorus, twice
Here is a link to the song on YouTube. Enjoy!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OAMA_-JfXpQ&list=PLmaM3h4AoHN-pRSCzG9xMGkJuCeDDLaf4&index=28
If you Prefer, you can stream this song on all the major
platforms such as Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Prime, etc.
