As Time Goes By

 

Post war peace has descended the war has now ended

Babies are booming, suckling contentment;

At the breast there is safety

And her mother sings lullabies.

 

And then along come the siblings and her childhood is passing

Hurriedly rushing, disappearing from view.

Her parents, like gypsies

New places, fresh faces

New houses, new schools

From infants, to convent (what manners) to Grammar

New neighbours, new brooms.

And Elvis is rocking.

 

Now working, not shirking

School sweetheart provides solitaire on her finger

Some changes she’s making the bedsit she’s taking

And then to apartment, upgrading – own bathroom.

Home service now playing, she’s reading and growing

Now knowing she’s leaving,

Starts stopping that silly romantic dreaming.

And Ella is singing.

 

 

Leave the wedding dress hanging

It’s time to be going

Her mind is escaping

Goodbye to her home town.

She’s leaving her shorthand, and leaving her mummy

And leaving her daddy, and she’s leaving her Jimmy –

Well he treated her badly.

And Chris Barber blows sweetly.

 

 

 

North Wales here she’s coming

Dollgellau, you’re kidding!

Haymaking and farming

For Brigadier Vaughan.

His Honourable Lady in shooting-break driving,

Her flowers collecting

Her sadness she shows as four daughters she bore him.

And Joan Baez protesting.

 

 

It’s time for some changes,

It’s time to be going

Goodbye Lady Vaughan,

Your husband’s too friendly

But she’s not for telling.

And she’s given a bible inscribed for the keeping.

And Dylan is saying that Times are a Changing.

Aberystwyth awaiting

And she’ll be a nanny

Little charge aged two is struggling with talking

And “Margaret” is hard so it’s “Meg” she’s becoming.

And now she is twenty

Living here at the seaside with swimming

Beer tasting, University parties.

And The Animals sing of The Rising Sun.

 

 

Not sure if she likes it the beer or the lifestyle

Not sure what she’s wanting

Not sure where she’s going

But all those around her

Seem certain and knowing

And she’s always moving and searching and changing.

 

There’s too much for the telling

And I’m not for boring

Those listening, remembering lives of their own

With all of their changes, new houses and spouses

Careers and children, revolving, evolving.

And Diana Ross supremely is singing.
 

 

Then Manchester’s calling, and marriage, nestbuilding

The wedding dress worn and gold ring she is wearing

And juggling careers with babies and cooking

The Beatles are raving

Whilst she rocks the cradle.

 

But later there’s parting and sadness and crying

Understanding and bitterness all intermingling

Continually changing, growing, evolving.

And Englebert Humberdinck sings on his own

 

Now her hair is an Afro, denim skirt to the ground

She feels a new freedom to the 70’s sound

The journey continues with tripping and falling

The running and jumping and stretching and climbing

Constantly changing, soul-searching, transforming

It took a long time to grow into her skin.

And Roberta Flack is Killing me Softly.

  

Her babies are growing, to college they’re going

And horses they’re riding

Cyclic tempers colliding.

Three women together hysterically crying

And laughing and crying and laughing and crying.

And Queen’s loudly playing.

 

Then when she stops looking

Peace comes and descends

Confusion and striving and turmoil seem ended

Life’s journey now offers the freedom of laughter

Contentment comes falling

On shoulders not bowed.

And Glenn Gould is playing and it's Bach that he's playing
 

Millennium came peeping

Time wearing its trainers

Now racing, now speeding and

Catching her eye

This journey’s exciting, there’s rejoicing and mourning

Mutating, reforming

And softly she’s humming

As Time Goes By.