These Old Eyes Have Seen It All
Reflections of a Lifetime: Stories in 'These Old Eyes Have Seen It All'
Lyrics
The old man's hair was white
The old man has white hair.
and his eyes looked tired
His eyes appear tired.
He drank his beer at the table all alone
He drinks beer alone at a table.
But he smiled when I spoke to him
Despite being alone, he smiles when spoken to.
so I sat down for a while
The speaker joins him as he seems friendly.
I wound up sitting there whole night long
The speaker spends the entire night with him.
'Cause I could see that he
The old man seems burdened with a lifetime of experiences.
he had a lifetime on his mind
He has a lot on his mind.
So I just sat there and listened,
The speaker listens as the old man shares his life.
and I was glad to take the time.
The speaker values the time spent listening.
And he said
The old man begins to share his experiences.
I saw Jimmy Rodgers yodel on the stage
The old man recalls seeing Jimmy Rodgers yodel on stage.
And I saw Hank when they walked him to his grave
He witnessed Hank's burial.
I saw country boy from Memphis
He saw a country boy from Memphis revolutionize rock and roll.
Shake the world with rock and roll
The old man claims his eyes have witnessed significant events.
These old eyes seen it all.
Reiteration that the old man has seen it all.
I saw friends of mine or foreign soil die proud
The old man observed friends dying proudly on foreign soil.
I saw things over there, son,
He witnessed events overseas that remain difficult to discuss.
that I still can't talk about
He saw Hitler and his army rise and fall.
I saw a crazy man named Hitler
Reiteration that the old man has seen it all.
and his army rise and fall
Emphasis on the extensive experiences witnessed by his old eyes.
These old eyes seen it all
Reiteration that the old man has seen it all.
These old eyes have seen it all
Confirmation that the old man's eyes have seen a lot.
The hands of time are writing on the wall
The hands of time are leaving their mark on his life.
They´re telling me that it won't be long
Suggesting that time is running out.
'till I hear my Jesus call
Anticipation of hearing Jesus' call soon.
These old eyes have seen it all
Reiteration of the extensive experiences seen by his old eyes.
I saw my sweet Mary love me, fifty years or so
Recollection of fifty years of love with sweet Mary.
With a trembling hand he wiped away a tear
The old man wipes away a tear, indicating emotional memories.
He said my memories of Mary
His memories of Mary are the most cherished.
are the sweetest I recall
Reiteration that the old man's eyes have seen it all.
These old eyes have seen it all
Confirmation of the old man's rich life experiences.
These old eyes have seen it all
Reiteration that the old man has seen it all.
The hands of time are writing on the wall
Emphasis on the impact of time on the old man's life.
They´re telling me that it won't be long
Suggesting that time is running out.
'till I hear my Jesus call
Anticipation of hearing Jesus' call soon.
These old eyes have seen it all.
Reiteration of the extensive experiences seen by his old eyes.
Hmm, these old eyes have seen it all.
Confirmation that the old man's eyes have seen it all.
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