Life Goes On

Love child accident born to children themselves
She nearly died on the table giving birth to her first back in ’63
That was my sister Irene
Moved into the trailer park in Ithaca, New York
Took another job while he was going to school
Another mouth to feed
Well, that was me

[Chorus:]
Oh round and round and round we go
The seasons melt away like snow
Oh round and round and round we go
The years they pass away and life goes on

Couldn’t stop trying too damned hard
Being everything to everybody
But he couldn’t hold up his heart
And it broke him down
So he left that town
Moved again to the cold blue North, little town on the sea
Innocent dreams of hope that they’d grow to be
A little better than what he had

[Chorus]
Oh round and round and round we go
The seasons melt away like snow
Oh round and round and round we go
The years they pass away and life goes on

Father, eagle-scout, mentor, boy
Silence the table with that bear in your voice
My frozen fear, my swallowed tears
Always coming down the hardest on the ones that you love best
All my life I’ve looked to your eyes
I’m looking back on the younger me trying so hard
A fragile bird in the golden girl seeking love
Her father’s child, walking in his stride
And I’m looking now at the older man you’ve turned out to be
The hardness has softened to empathy
We’ve made amends, we’re better friends

[Chorus]
Oh round and round and round we go
The seasons melt away like snow
Oh round and round and round we go
The years they pass away and life goes on