31
It Didn’t Work…
It didn’t work, at least we tried
the days were long we somehow stayed alive
the old rules no longer applied
it didn’t work at least we tried

it didn’t work at least we tried
the days were long, you simply had a child
love was just one way to survive
it didn’t work at least we tried

and someone had an absent friend
whose house facing the sea
gave us all a place to crash
for long moments we’d believe
the future wasn’t just the past
and we weren’t just our parents
and corporate culture wouldn’t win
we’d fight and love and cherish
a world of value, truth and meaning
faith and hope and will
then in the other room the baby cried
time to pay the bills

It didn’t work, at least we tried
you got a job we found ways to get by
then we split up ended one lie
it didn’t work at least we tried

it didn’t work at least we tried
we’d meet to take turns spoiling our child
teach him the waves were safe and mild
it didn’t work at least we tried

and our summers were nostalgia
for that house facing the sea
and the records that we listened to
we now own on CD
the marriages and second cars
were frills we barely cursed
the summer camps and private schools
focus of our fading self worth
and now Samuel is 17
and old enough to hate us
so happy in the corporate world
his parents seems like strangers

It didn’t work at least we tried
the years drew on it came time to retire
pensions barely enough to get by
it didn’t work at least we tried

it didn’t work at least we tried
your husband died and sometimes I’d drop by
we’d talk about the how and why
it didn’t work at least we tried

and Samuel got some hot shot job
the first rung on a ladder
we didn’t even contemplate
we didn’t know it mattered
he never visits, never calls
future CEO indeed
his name in the business sections
neither of us really read
the other night you took my hand
first time in thirty years
perhaps we just find it comforting
as our humble ends draw near

It didn’t work, at least we tried
the days were long we somehow stayed alive
the old rules no longer applied
it didn’t work at least we tried

it didn’t work at least we tried
the days were long, you simply had a child
love was just one way to survive
it didn’t work at least we tried
Guitare et voix: Jacob Wren
Enregistrement studio: Radwan Ghazi Moumneh (hotel2tango)