It's the morning - soon he'll rise,
finds the glasses for his eyes
aren't what they used to be
Picks up the clothes –
he's worn so long
on the bureau
sits the picture
of a lady
and the mural of a man
who've been
gone for many years ...
The Old man walks in Echo Park
from bench to bench
he moves from morning 'til dark
for the ducks some bread he brings
Wonder if he'll feed them
this time next spring...
Listening to the children play
reminds him of the days
many years ago
Thoughts of a child
that he helped grow ..
And memory
of a letter
saying, "Dear Sir,
We regret to inform you
your son will not be coming home…"..
Old man, tell me
are there fears
Do you measure life in years
or is one day
all you'll ever know ..
I've got to know!
Oh, oh, oh...
The old man walks in Echo Park
from bench to bench
he moves from morning til dark
and for the ducks some bread he brings
wonder if he'll feed them
this time next spring
Have I been a good man,
have I tried to see the light
wish I may, wish I might
have the wish I wish tonight
Have I been a good man ...
finds the glasses for his eyes
aren't what they used to be
Picks up the clothes –
he's worn so long
on the bureau
sits the picture
of a lady
and the mural of a man
who've been
gone for many years ...
The Old man walks in Echo Park
from bench to bench
he moves from morning 'til dark
for the ducks some bread he brings
Wonder if he'll feed them
this time next spring...
Listening to the children play
reminds him of the days
many years ago
Thoughts of a child
that he helped grow ..
And memory
of a letter
saying, "Dear Sir,
We regret to inform you
your son will not be coming home…"..
Old man, tell me
are there fears
Do you measure life in years
or is one day
all you'll ever know ..
I've got to know!
Oh, oh, oh...
The old man walks in Echo Park
from bench to bench
he moves from morning til dark
and for the ducks some bread he brings
wonder if he'll feed them
this time next spring
Have I been a good man,
have I tried to see the light
wish I may, wish I might
have the wish I wish tonight
Have I been a good man ...
Contributed by giorgio - 2020/5/7 - 09:20
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Lyrics and Music by Buzz Clifford
Album: Echo Park
This was a song that's haunted me for a long time - it tells of the Old Man looking back on his life, and what's left for him - all loneliness and retrospection - but what's really haunting was the Vietnam era reference of a letter saying "your son will not be coming home" - I thought, how amazing and sordid would that be, getting the news of the death by mail…