Story Behind The Song

As a boy, my first contact with human death was very similar to the song narrative. And the song is an attempt to convey the horror and wonder of death to a young mind confronting it for the first time.

Song Description

As two boys play in the backyard on a summer day, they and their mother slowly come to understand a tragedy has taken place. To the mother the tragedy is communicated by sirens and telephone calls spreading the news. For the boys the news comes to them by reading the actions of their mother.

Lyrics

Old memories fade but this one remains
Old memories fade but this one remains
Over at my friend Billy's went outside to play
Over at my friend Billy's went outside to play
Not a care in this world, we felt so safe

The birds did sing, and the flowers bloomed,
The birds did sing, and the flowers bloomed,
Honeybees at work and our fathers, too
Honeybees at work and our fathers, too.
Grass-stained blue jeans on a summer afternoon.

We heard the sirens blow sometime after lunch
We heard the sirens blow sometime after lunch
Billy's mom came outside to check on us
Billy's mom came outside to check on us,
She said, "Something's wrong." We didn't bother much.

It wasn't long before the phone did ring
It wasn't long before the phone did ring
Billy's mom ran inside and locked the screen
Billy's mom ran inside and locked the screen
Small town news is fast, people don't miss a thing.

Then it got real quiet in the neighborhood
Then it got real quiet in the neighborhood
Women left their houses and came into the streets
Women left their houses and came into the streets
Every mother's nightmare, worst fear to keep.

The folks were silent, they didn't have to say.
The folks were silent, they didn't have to say.
You could see it in their faces, their eyes gave them away
You could see it in their faces, their eyes gave them away
The day my neighbor boy drowned at the lake
The day my neighbor boy drowned at the lake.