Time Was

He looked at the old man with tobacco stains on his shirt Then asked if times were different when he was a kid The old man smiled and said I’ll tell you a story About the times we had and the things we did. Time was when we pledged our allegiance Being patriotic didn’t make you a fool Time was when you respected your elders Each day God was in our public school We had Friday night dances in the old gym And pep rallies before the big game A Ford was a Ford and a Chevy a Chevy No two cars ever looked the same We traveled around pedaling a bike On the handlebars our glove we would drape With eight or nine kids a game we would play And our baseball was covered with electrical tape We walked home after dark alone without fear Sometimes we would go to the park Ride the swings and merry go round, even climb trees Carve our initials into the bark Time was we had moral standards on TV They played the National Anthem when day was done Time was neighbors cared about each other And a back porch gathering was a lot of fun We decorated our cars in school colors before a game We’d work on it until the sun went down Then go to the game with carload of friends If we won, we’d beep our horns all over town Time was when we shopped downtown We knew all the owners by name Time was when the music was clean And a smile could start a new flame. So yes it was different, was it better or worse They are the times I often dream of I don’t know if they were a blessing or curse Time was we were surrounded by love.