When I lived and worked in Scotland, a new guy joined our firm and he sat next to me in the office. He was 15 years younger than me, newly married and he and his wife were expecting their first child. Over the next few years, Eric and I became friends and thing that struck me about him was what a decent, honest, straightforward man he was. Nothing "flashy" about him, he worked hard, never moaned and did the best for himself and his family. Nothing particularly unusual about that, but he really was one of those guys who you would trust with your life.
He and his wife went on to have another child, and they had the usual challenges of juggling family life, mortgages and all the rest of it.
Anyway, one day Eric came to work with the sad news that his mother had passed away having had a short battle with cancer. Understandably he was upset, but Eric told me about the effect his mother's death had had on his dad. They had been happily marrried for fourty years, so happily that they still sat on the sofa of an evening, watching TV whilst HOLDING HANDS, even after decades of marriage.
Eric had benefited from a really stable, albeit modest upbringing and I have no doubt his own kids will be equally fortunate. If the world had a few more Erics in it (as well as his mum and and dad), it would be a better place.
I have tried to write a song about it, and I have a strong melody I think. The following words scan and fit the slightly jaunty, up beat light rock rthytym well, but I would love to improve on the lyrics. If any of you clever people have any suggestions, I would be really to know. I don't mind admitting that for me, lyric writing is the hardest part of the whole song creation process.
Thanks for taking the time to read this!
Verse 1:
When they met at school they were just 15 years of age
Childhood sweethearts in every way
And they married at 21
their parents thought "they're way too young", but
They only wanted what was best for their own
Verse 2:
And there wasn't much money going around
She cut hair, he sold cars searching for higher ground
They had a little girl and then she had a brother
They couldn't have hoped for a better dad and mother
They only wanted what was best for their own
Pre-chorus:
Looking back they wondered where the years had gone
Yet they were filled with love, they're happy in their world
Chorus:
Ordinary lives, extra ordinary people
They may not change the world
But the world would be better filled with their kind
And they still held hands
Verse 3:
Before they knew it they were gone, the kids were off their hands
They have their own families now
They've lives of their own, but they visit every Sunday
Just like they hoped they would one day
They only wanted what was best for their own
Break:
In old age, just a mile from where they met
Holding hands on the sofa, like 50 years before, how could they ever forget?
