“Another Song” - a song about growing old
I got a new hat.
Story Pairing
When I was still playing with my brother, we would go about once a month to a nursing home in the area. It was an environment so different than a bar or club that you tend to play in the most. Retirement homes are these worlds that we tend to forget are there unless we are actively visiting. It’s so different to be around humans that have experienced so much, and are calmly going through the last stage of their lives.
As we played there more, I started to get to know a handful of the regular faces. They would come up after we sang and let us know about the birthdays coming up in their families, who had visited them recently, and stories that a song sparked a memory of. It was beautiful.
One resident in particular made an impact on me. His name was Jerry. He was wheelchair bound, had a big bushy white beard, two full sleeves of traditional sailor tattoos, and a gravely low whisper of a voice. The first time I remember meeting him, I gave him a bracelet that we had with the band name on it. He slipped it on next to a hospital bracelet he already had. I can’t remember exactly what we talked about, but I remember him sharing stories about his wild days as a youth.
A few months later we were back, and Jerry was front row. He was hanging on to every word. (To preface, a lot of the residents would come up and then take a little nap in their chairs while we played, so for him to be attentive the entire time was a little more precious than a typical listener). Afterwords he rolled his chair up to the stage quickly. “Slow down Jerry, ya speed demon” is something along the lines of what I said. He’s looking at me and has this michevious grin on and his eyes are sparkling with a held back something. He motions for me to come close, and when I get a step away from him he looks around and then whispers “Got any more freebies?”. Something about that scene has stuck with me since. He was acting like we were making some sort of exhilaratingly shady deal, looking around smiling, I loved it. So I rooted around in my harmonica case and gave him a couple stickers and he laughed like I had just given him a sack full of gold.
This dance would continue for the next few months. We’d play, Jerry would ask for a freebie like it was the first time, and I’d send him back to his room with something. He got a couple CDs, a harmonica, a guitar pick, and idk what else. His nurse started bring him to the front every time, and she shared how he never took off the bracelet I gave him the first day. He was my buddy, and I looked forward to shooting the shit with him after playing more than anything else.
Eventually there was a day that Jerry wasn’t there. I asked the nurse, and because he was getting pretty sick they moved him to another facility. I’d check in in the months to follow, but Jerry wasn’t getting any better. One of the last times we played there the nurse let me know that Jerry had passed. It was a hard thing to hear. I had hoped to play for him one more time.
This is a song I wrote for him after I got the news. One final freebie for Jerry.
Song Structure
E but not blues… Ben is that you?
When I first wrote this song, I wasn’t confident enough to pop up to the C#m, so I wouldn’t really play it out (I still don’t cause it chokes me up).
The song started with the progression from E/C#m/A I added the B afterwards once I started finding a melody with the harmonica.
I am using an E harmonica which I use for maybe one other song. Typically I use an A harp in cross when playing in the key of E.
Voice Memos
No notebook page
Dec 2017
Lyrics
It's another song 'bout growing old
I don't think it's quite as bad as we are told
He says from his favorite chair, that he's taken everywhere
And he rocks it till it's only skin and bone
It's another song 'bout growing old
And the young list of the places we must go
So we only did a few of our ambitious have to dos
But the ones we did are proudly set in stone
He whispers, fetch another round
Sit yourself upon the ground
I'll sing my tune, 80 years too soon
Won't you stay if only for a while
There are bits will make you cry, how I learned to fear goodbye
But I know I've got a few to make you smile
You can write them down, every word, every sound
And share with every fool you know
But don't tell them, it's a song, bout growing old
It's another song 'bout growing old
How he reaches out his hand for me to hold
Arms full of tattoos, black in that faded blue
Another way he couldn't be controlled
It's another song 'bout growing old
How I miss the way he'd watch the world unfold
Every night spent the same way, till the day he passed away
I can't recall a word that he mistold
He whispers, fetch another round
Sit yourself upon the ground
I'll sing my tune, 80 years too soon
Won't you stay if only for a while
There are bits will make you cry, how I learned to fear goodbye
But I know I've got a few to make you smile
You can write them down, every word, every sound
And share with every fool you know
But don't tell them, it's a song, bout growing old
Every word he ever gave to me was true
But them words aint meant for me aint meant for you
I'll share a line or maybe three
But nothing in this world is ever free
and I'll whisper, fetch another round
sit yourself upon the ground
I'll sing my tune, 80 years too soon
Won't you stay if only for a while
There are bits will make you cry, how I watched a good friend die
But I know I've got a few to make you smile
You can write them down, every word, every sound
And share with every fool you know
But don't tell them, it's a song, bout growing old