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OLD FRIEND IN TOWN

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[Verse 1]
He rolled down Main where maples once swayed,
Stopped by the diner, but the menu’s been remade.
Faces in windows, no one looks twice,
Another stranger under neon light.
He knew every crack in these sidewalks before,
Laid bricks with his father, hung wreaths on the store.
Now cranes and cement, the skyline grown tall,
But the laughter’s gone missing — if it’s here at all.

[Chorus]
There’s an old friend in town, but no one remembers,
Summers they shaped, the long-burning embers.
They’re chasing dreams through the thump of the crowd,
And he once knew the soul of this town out loud.
No one remembers, the old friend in town.

[Verse 2]
Ran into Joe by the hardware store light,
Swapped old lies and truths till the edge of night.
Talked on the porch ‘bout storms they survived,
How the park disappeared, but the memories stayed alive.
They built little leagues, painted benches by hand,
Small things only big hearts understand.
Now the mayor counts heads like numbers on a sheet,
While the heart of the town beats faint on the street.

[Chorus]
There’s an old friend in town, but no one remembers,
Summers they shaped, the long-burning embers.
They’re chasing dreams through the thump of the crowd,
And he once knew the soul of this town out loud.
No one remembers, the old friend in town.

[Bridge]
Days slip away like postcards unsent,
The streets hum a song of the way it once went.
He carries their stories, worn soft at the edges,
From rained-out ball games to midnight hedges.
Every step he takes feels a little less known,
Like he’s walking through pictures that aren’t his own.

[Verse 3]
In the corner booth where the jukebox would play,
He orders black coffee and lets the years sway.
A waitress with freckles asks, “Were you here before?”
He smiles at the question — could’ve sworn she was four.
Through smudged glass, traffic flows fast,
And he whispers goodbye to the ghosts of the past.

[Final Chorus]
There’s an old friend in town, and the years remember,
Smoke on the grills, the September embers.
Dreams still get chased, the music’s still loud,
But he still hears the soul of this hometown crowd.
Somewhere it’s waiting — the old friend in town.

[Outro]
He walks past the old school, the windows are dark,
Hears the bell and the swing set’s bark.
The years blur the faces, the paint starts to peel,
But the roots of this place are the ones he still feels

Vibe: Think Springsteen & Meloncamp

Copyright © | Year Posted 2025




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Date: 6/12/2025 2:59:00 PM
Thanks for pointing me in this direction. As you know I too stepped away and yes it feels different. Still there are those who remember. Don’t be disheartened. The Love Dr Leo Buscalia once said “A single flower my garden, a single friend my world.” Quality over quantity my friend.
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Lyric Man
Date: 8/4/2025 9:57:00 AM
Wisdom speaks through your experience; the Soup is tastier with you in the kitchen!
Date: 5/24/2025 5:21:00 PM
nostalgia brims within your lines. I feel that auld lang syne groove drifting on...engaging song ,lyric!
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Lyric Man
Date: 5/24/2025 6:23:00 PM
Inspired by the Eagle's "New Kid In Town" The town is Poetry Soup and I'm the old friend in town.. sure feels different so far!
Date: 5/24/2025 2:20:00 PM
so poignant, lyric man! this is beautifully expressed and the yearning comes through loud and clear...
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Lyric Man
Date: 5/24/2025 6:24:00 PM
Missing those early days on here where the core knew and supported one another.. so glad I still have some friends in town like you!

Book: Reflection on the Important Things