From the recording Shuttered Memories
Song that tells the story of an old man reflecting on his life while sitting in his worn-out chair. The lyrics explore themes of time, fading memories, and the quiet solitude of waiting for the inevitable end. The imagery of a ghostly radio whispering stories from the past captures the melancholy mood as the man comes to terms with the passing of his years. Based on a photo my father took of our neighbor in the 1960s.
Lyrics
An old man sitting in his worn-out chair
Cracks in his soul, but he doesn’t seem to care
Smokes a last cigarette, no rush to light it
Time don’t count when you’re done trying to fight it
Faded pictures in the corners of his mind
Flashes of the life he’s gonna leave behind
And like the fading light of a late night show
He’s just waiting for the end, to roll in slow
That floral couch looks stained with the years
His fingers twitch like they remember old cheers
The TV’s broke, but who needs the noise?
When you talk in your head with your boys
The clock ticks and tacks, loud and still
There are no more dreams left to fulfill
He’s done it all and simply has nowhere to go
He’s just waiting for the end, to roll in slow
Once he had the fire, the punch, the spark
Now it’s memories that are dancing in the dark
The echoes of laughter have faded away
And the silence gets louder with each passing day
The static hums like a ghost in the radio
To his ears it’s like whispering stories from long ago
The years have slipped by like a river’s flow
He’s just waiting for the end, to roll in slow
The evening fades like a distant glow
He’s just waiting for the end, to roll in slow
Now, the winds outside have ceased to blow
He was just waiting for the end, to roll in slow