Origins: When They Were Young

Subject: Lyr Req: When They Were Young
From:
Date: 17 Jan 04 - 08:03 PM

Greetings all.

I'm trying to find a source/lyrics for a song. I believe that it's called "When They Were Young". Not traditional, but probably folk. I think it was released 15-20 years ago. If any body has the info, I'm looking for artist, discography, and or lyrics.

The second verse is something like :

When your grandpa was young, he lived up north by Hudson Bay
A [unknown] was his favorite toy, he still remembers that today
And just like you, he always knew
A secret place to go that nobody else would know
And he'd pretend, he had a friend
That no one else could see and nobody but he knew all the dreams
Dreams your grandpa dreamed when he was young

Any help or a nudge in a direction would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks
- Frank
[e-mail]

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: When They Were Young
From:
Date: 18 Jan 04 - 10:22 AM

Frank, sorry, I'm coming up blanks on this song.

The mention of Hudson's Bay is interesting and makes me wonder if this is a Canadian song. Without more information, unless someone happens to know the song it's going to be difficult.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: When They Were Young
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 19 Jan 04 - 04:02 PM

This site says that Jeff Presley and South Central Bluegrass recorded a song called WHEN THEY WERE YOUNG on their album "I Need a Song," 1991. The blurb says the songs were written by Jeff and his father (Dean Presley). I couldn't find any lyrics or sound samples, though.

Jeff Presley is apparently now a member of a different band, called Shenandoah Blue.

Subject: ADD: When They Were Young
From: GUEST,fblair
Date: 18 Jul 10 - 12:01 AM

Hey all.

I'm trying to track down a song, mostly to attribute so I can license it appropriately, but I'm drawing a total blank in my searches.

I think the title is "When They Were Young". I have lyrics, but there are some gaps that guy I heard it from filled in with homonyms because he didn't know what they were. He got it from submissions to a radio show that one of his brothers produced in the early 80s but doesn't know anything else about it. What lyrics I have are included below. The questionable bits are in brackets [].

If anybody has any info on it, I'd appreciate it.

Thanks in advance
- Frank


--------


WHEN THEY WERE YOUNG
Songwriter???

Once your grandma was young
Her hands were small then like your own
She slept to lullabies [her mother's song]
In their Alabama home

Long ago, and do you know
She remembers days, Mardi Gras parades
The carousel she loved so well
And all that magic brings, their voices all had wings
And she could fly
Riding dreams she dreamed when you grandma was a girl

When you grandpa was a boy
He lived up north by Hudson Bay
[An olive crystal] was his favorite toy
He still remembers that today

And just like you he always knew
Some secret place to go that no one else would know
And he'd pretend he had a friend
That no one else could see nobody but he shared all the dreams
Riding dreams he dreamed when you grandpa was a boy

Now in late November days
Their childhoods seem so long ago
In [in their darkness stands a silver grain]
Shining like sunlight on the snow

And in their eyes that seem so wise
Are vision from a time of fairy tales and rhyme
A place they know you can always go
Just take them by the hand walk along the sands of time and dream
Dreams like grandma dreamed
... and grandpa dreamed
When they were young

Subject: RE: Origins: When They Were Young
From: Joe Offer
Date: 18 Jul 10 - 01:45 AM

Hi, Frank -
I combined the two threads we have on this song - looks like you started the other one, too. there's somebody on this Website (click) who's looking for the same song, but he has far less than you have.
-Joe Offer, Forum Moderator-

Subject: RE: Origins: When They Were Young
From: GUEST,fblair
Date: 18 Jul 10 - 12:05 PM

Ah, thanks Joe. Sorry about that, it'd been a while and I just re-discovered the song in a pile of material. Bill Morris in your link is a friend of mine and the source of what I know about the song.

- Frank

Subject: RE: Origins: When They Were Young
From: Joe Offer
Date: 18 Jul 10 - 06:38 PM

No need for apology, Frank. I appreciate your tenacity. Do you know of a recording of this song, or was it just handed down friend to friend, family to family?

-Joe-

Subject: RE: Origins: When They Were Young
From: GUEST
Date: 20 Jul 10 - 01:06 AM

From what I gather Bill's brother taped the song off the air on public radio in the Wash, DC area several years ago. I thought it was earlier, but Bill suggests it was late 1998-2000. It has no attribution to it.

It's a female singer and a folk-y guitar. The female singer and the melody, which I have from Bill, lead me to believe that it's not the Jeff Presley tune (which is also listed in Harry Fox's database.)

It's just stuck with me for all these years. I was hoping somebody would recognize the words and we'd catch a break. Both Bill and I have wanted to record it for years but have been leery of it without being able to source it properly. And, frankly, we'd like to track down an original copy of it if possible just because it's a great song.

- Frank

Subject: Lyr Add: WHEN THEY WERE YOUNG
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 01 Feb 12 - 12:38 PM

Not the same song, but worth having anyway, I think:


WHEN THEY WERE YOUNG
As sung by Jeff Presley and South Central Bluegrass on "I Need a Song" (2011)

His eyes would light up when she walked in the room.
Her love like spring flowers was always in bloom,
And they used to share secrets by the light of the moon.
That's how it was when they were young.

CHORUS: "Sweetheart, I love you" is what she would say,
And he pledged his love to her till his dying day.
Their love was so strong and forever to stay.
That's how it was when they were young.

The years have been so full of trials and pain.
Much has been lost with nothing been gained,
And they think of what they were and what they became.
Oh, how they wish they were still young!

They'd have loved a lot harder and lived for each day,
Not counting their problems but blessings God gave,
And in the sweet mem'ry of young love they'd stay,
Just how it was when they were young.

CHORUS TWICE

That's how it was when they were young.

Subject: Lyr Add: WHEN THEY WERE YOUNG
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 01 Feb 12 - 12:55 PM

Another one:


WHEN THEY WERE YOUNG
As sung by Ralph McTell on "Affairs of the Heart" (2010)

This is for those who were lucky enough
To fall in love when they were young—
Not just that usual teenage stuff,
A fumble of feelings all fingers and tongues,
Intertwining breeze,
Touch like trembling leaves.

This is for those who were really free,
Locked in a mutual field of vision,
Each other's eyes all they need to see,
A jail without walls, an open prison,
Even when apart,
In earshot of the heart.

This is for those who knowing the risk,
Threw caution to the wind of chance,
Abandoned in the singing mist
As on the precipice they'd dance:
Seeds of sycamore,
Spinning to the floor.

And this is for those who, without complaint,
Lay on a bed of their own making.
Their sainted hunger made them faint,
Through fitful sleep the cruel awak'ning.
For their pity's sake
The cradle bough must break.

This is for those who loved so strong
It shattered the rocks and left them aching,
Stunned into silence, both deafened and dumb,
By the terrible sound of one heart breaking,
Charred and acrid breeze,
Lightning-blackened trees.

This is for those who were lucky enough
To fall in love when they were young.