I've dabbled in a few things... painting, making pots, music... but lyric writing has been one of the most challenging. You need extended quiet to get into that zone, maybe for days at a time, and that kind of time has been very hard to come by. I took some lessons a couple years back with the great Irish songwriter, Danny Ellis. Being under a deadline yielded some results, including this song. It's been received very well when Joan and I have performed it, so I thought I'd share the lyric.
When we first got together we lived for a while in her creaky but charming 1929 Dutch Colonial. We couldn't help thinking about the tough time in which that house was built and all the people who lived in it thereafter. This song came out of those musings. We're slowly working on recording it. At some point I'll post an audio clip.
Edgewood (Copyright 2020, Al Schlimm, All Rights Reserved)
She was framed that fall of ‘29
Out of Appalachian heart of pine
Though the nation wept, she stood tall and fine
A brand new Edgewood home
With a southern view the light did stay
And its healing warmth had much to say
As it sheltered them until better days
Their brand new Edgewood home
From the porch there they waved at neighbors, counted blossoms, treasured favors
Wondered how they’d get through
In the yard they’d hear squeals and giggles, sneaky peeking, silly quibbles
Dreams that had come so true
When they laid that stone and raised those beams
And they worked that plaster free of seams
Could they then have known of the hopes and dreams
Would fill that Edgewood home
She was framed that fall of ‘29
But I knew her in a different time
When a ginger captured this heart of mine
In that old that Edgewood home
It was there we started this life so fine
That creaky Edgewood home
We will ever treasure those tender times
When we called Edgewood home
Comments