This is a true song, which came out of my recent visit to my parents. I played a rough version for my Mom and it made her cry so I decided to embellish it some.
Verse
My folks are in their eighties now
They say they want to move
The house is far too large they say
For only just us two
They've pulled out some old boxes
They say it's time to clean
A treasure trove of photographs
That I have never seen
Chorus
Black and white and sepia
Across the table spread
Faces free of times' long march
Loved ones who are dead
Memories come flooding back
Peals of laughter rise
Moments from the years gone by
Dance before my eyes
Verse
Dad in his Guard uniform
Fort Dix in fifty-eight
Moms' hair is in a bouffant
She meets him for a date
Me and my little sister
In the snow in sixty-five
It's a bitter pill, she's
No longer alive
Chorus
Black and white and sepia
Across the table spread
Faces free of times' long march
Loved ones who are dead
Memories come flooding back
Peals of laughter rise
Moments from the years gone by
Dance before my eyes
Verse
My grandparents are smiling
With all the grandkids there
Before we all grew up and left
And grandpa lost his hair
Chorus
Black and white and sepia
Across the table spread
Faces free of times' long march
Loved ones who are dead
Memories come flooding back
Peals of laughter rise
Moments from the years gone by
Dance before my eyes
@nancycunning Mar 2022
Liz - I like the way you capture this poignant specific scene and let us catch so many glimpses into your family's specific stories. Oh, that sister who's death is just out of the frame of the photos. There's also something about the gentle cheerful ukelele that feels like it says that this is all part of the circle of life, and to lose is human. That's great that you played it for your mom.
@standup Mar 2022
Love this story. My wife recently went through similar things with her parents (in their 80s) moving. My mom, same age, is far from going anywhere.
But these memories are so important, and all the details need to be recorded for every photo they can remember who's in them! Ideally, anyway.
Great song, this takes me somewhere very real.
@sph Mar 2022
Lovely and relatable. Those times spent with others and a box of photographs often bring up new stories or memories
@johnstaples Mar 2022
Liz, this is so pretty and so touching! You do such a beautiful job of detailing all of these memories! Fun ukulele and sincere vocals make this a treat to listen to! And, I'm gonna admit, this touched me and maybe I shed a tear or three! Nice work!
@tunecat Feb 2022
Lovely song and story.
@danvaillancourt Feb 2022
Beautiful song full of specific details and memories. Such a lovely gift for your parents to hear this. Nice!
@scubed Feb 2022
This is lovely! Having sorted through old photos left by my parents and my in-laws, I can so relate to this. “Moments from the years gone by Dance before my eyes” is a wonderful line! And I got a chuckle out of, “Before we all grew up and left And Grandpa lost his hair.”. Really nice work on this!
@metalfoot Feb 2022
What a great gift of love to your parents a song like this is. A special treasure like the box of photographs.
@eas3637 Feb 2022
Liz, this is a fantastic song, and I'm glad your parents found it so meaningful. The second verse is just a killer - the straightforward simplicity with which you describe this images makes it all the more heartbreaking. I also love the transition from minor to major from the chorus to the verse. Great song!
@oaksnprairie Feb 2022
What a lovely memory song. I like the dramatic acapella "dance before my eyes." Sounds a lot like my parents and life.
@mikeb Feb 2022
A wonderful song that is easy to hear why your mother loved it. Your song focused on the photos, not the situation of your parents' changing life, well done!
@andygriff Feb 2022
Not hard to see why this moved your Mum so much. Photographs are such a great inspiration for songs. Beautiful and sad in equal measure. Well done.
@colgoo Feb 2022
Lovely story. I can see why your mom teared up!
@leslie333 Feb 2022
So rich and such a wistful loving tribute. And as usual you make the personal universal. Great job on this.
@kenmattsson Feb 2022
You are on a roll! This is great writing, with so much detail. You're really taking so chance and this is a testament to that work. Good for you!