Swann Song

Chris Pureka

Yeah, I could tell you lots of things
I grew up on the bay
I used to race my sisters up the fence-side to Mr. Mendley's place
Papa ran the general store
And mama did everything
And the waves and the waves and the sea
Time brought me here like a fishing boat
At the whim of the Atlantic breeze

It was a good life
Yeah, it was a good life
I'd do it all again

I joined the Navy Nurses Corp.
It was 1941
And I met my sailor in that fated harbor
In the days before the bombs came
Hail Mary, I made it home
Til I was laughing as my ship went down
Singing and bailing water
Right back to the shores of San Francisco town

It was a good life
Yeah, it was a good life
I'd do it all again

I was hitched out in Reno
I stayed at home and he went out to sweep the mines
I'll never forget the day we heard it on the radio
It was the end of the war
And we laughed and cried and cheered and laughed again
Yeah we cried and cheered like it would be the last one

Yeah sure, yeah sure I've wished for things
I wish I had been there the day that Nancy drowned
I wish I hadn't seen them build a highway
A highway right through my backyard
But you just learn to love the little things
I've lived long enough to know
And I'm still waving from this front porch
And this is still my swan song

It was a good life
Yeah, it was a good life
I'd do it all again