Back When the Old Homeplace Was New

(Tom T. Hall)



Well, the children come back to see the old homeplace

They don't see a thing that they like

The old well out back with its cool clear water

Don't fit into their style of life.



The old gravel road that leads to the old homeplace

Gets dust on their new shiny cars

Well, they didn't complain about nothing to do

Back when the old homepclace was new.



Back when the old homepclace was new

There was plenty to see and to do

But they can't remember and I ain't gonna tell 'em

Back when the old homeplace was new.



--- Instrumental ---



There's an old swimming hole about a half mile away

An old tire still swings from a tree

I've got an old jar full of lightening and bugs

And a dogfishin' weren't just today.



They can't get on line from my old telephone

And I ain't got no cable TV

Oh, we used to tell stories and some of them true

Back when the old homeplace was new.



Back when the old homepclace was new

There was plenty to see and to do

But they can't remember and I ain't gonna tell 'em

Back when the old homeplace was new.



--- Instrumental ---



The toys they treasured are stashed in the attic

Except for a rusty old bike

There's a big ball of string in a drawer in the kitchen

They used to use flying their kites.



There's a battered old can out there by the toolshed

An old can that they used to kick

They sit on the porch and they stare down the driveway

They just can't see living like this.



Back when the old homepclace was new

There was plenty to see and to do

But they can't remember and I ain't gonna tell 'em

Back when the old homeplace was new...