I
saw you there beneath the porch light,
A
winter storm was raging bad.
Across
your back there lay a banjo,
Seemed
like the only thing you had.
You
shook your coat, the snow like feathers,
You
tried to keep them from my floor.
My
daddy said, “play me a sweet song,
My
wife has passed, she is no more.”
Chorus:
One
night by the fireplace, that’s all you asked for.
One night by the fireplace to keep you from the
wind.
One
night by the fireplace you traded for a sweet song
My
daddy begs to bring you back again.
The
room was still, your voice rang through it,
It
filled the hollows like it had wings.
Your
calloused hands were strong and steady,
Your
fingers danced upon the strings.
As
I recall your eyes were gentle,
The
very color has slipped my mind…
I’d
like to say like leaves of autumn,
I
only know your eyes were kind.
Chorus
Your
hat was worn, your coat was ragged,
Least
that’s the way I recollect.
If
I had had a carpet needle
I
would have sewn them as you slept.
My
father soon will join my mama,
Don’t
know your name, please understand…
It’s
not for me, it’s for my daddy,
He
longs to hear “that banjo man.”
Instrumental
I
ventured down and asked the townsfolk
If they had seen you in these parts.
I
told them of the song you fashioned,
The
way the tune could melt a heart
Another
winter has come a calling…
I
push the curtain and try to see
If
you are there in snow and shadow
You
must believe it’s not for me.
Chorus
Last
Chorus: (banjo man’s voice)
One
night by the fireplace, that’s what she gave me
One
night by the fireplace to keep me from the wind
One
night by the fireplace she traded for a sweet song
These
boots are heading back her way again…