This song is one I often dedicate to my Mom
who died in '04. It isn't about her, it's about a street person, but it's
also about some simple things in life that often sound cliché when spoken
outloud, but turn out to be true anyway. It's also about legacy. If your
Mom's still on the planet give her a phone call...;-)
Trite Secrets – by David Beede 9/2/01
(D)
I’d see her each day on the playground,
usually
(G)sitting on one of the (D)swings.
Antique
(G) ribbons and lace, too much (D) rouge on her face,
She’d
(A) rant and she’d rave and she’d sing
“I
know they all (D) say that I’m crazy.
A
(G) crazy ol’ lady who (D) chatters.
Crazy
(G) I may be, you shouldn’t
(D) listen to me,
I
just (A) sing of some trite things that (D) matter."
Chorus: (She sang,) spoken
(D)
Play like a child in the park
(G)
Sing like no one can (D) hear
(G)
Sleep like you’re never (D) afraid of the dark
(A)
Wake like there’s nothin’ to fear.
(D)
Dance like no one is lookin’.
(G)
Love like you’ve never (D) cried.
(G)
Eat like its always home (D) cookin’…(Bm)
(A)
Work like your dreams never (D) died.
All
I have to give are trite secrets
Though
mostly I’ve wasted my chance here
I
might not have hungered - if I’d lived by them younger
Might’ve
been a much sweeter dance here.
I
know they sound simple and corny
Not
worth stringing together in song.
But
what can I do… they might be trite and true
So
I still have to pass them along. (she sang) Chorus:
One
day her swing set stood empty, likewise her see-saw and slide
After
checking around every playground in town
Someone
confirmed she had died.
They
knew of no kin who survived her, no possessions to pass on along.
So
I told them about her “trite secrets.”
Then
I went home and wrote down her song. (Now I sing…)
Chorus:
That
Sunday I went to her grave side – I could not let her go home alone.
To
my surprise half the town had arrived – amazing the folks she had known.
After
all of them spoke of her kindly – I stepped forward to sing them her
song.
And
I was not surprised when through glistening eyes everyone there sang
along.
Chorus
twice...
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