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Grandfather's Clock

from Songs From the Bend in the River by Joe Flood

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about

Words and music by Henry Clay Work, arranged and adapted by Joe Flood

lyrics

My grandfather's clock was too tall for the shelf,

So it stood ninety years on the floor;

It was taller by half than the old man himself,

Though it weighed not a pennyweight more.

It was bought upon the morn of the day that he was born,

And was always his treasure and pride;

But it stopped short — never to go again —

When the old man died.

In watching its pendulum swing to and fro,

Many hours had he spent as a boy;

And in childhood and manhood the clock seemed to know

And to share in his grief and his joy.

And it struck twenty-four when he entered at the door,

With a blushing and beautiful bride;

But it stopped short — never to go again —

When the old man died.

Ninety years without slumbering
(tick, tock, tick, tock),
His life's seconds numbering,
(tick, tock, tick, tock),
It stopped short — never to go again —
When the old man died.

My grandfather said that of those he could hire,

Not a servant more faithful he found;

For it wasted no time, and had but one desire —

At the end of each week to be wound.

And it always kept its place — with no frown upon its face,

And its hands never hung by its side.

But it stopped short — never to go again —

When the old man died.

It rang an alarm in the dead of the night —

An alarm that for years had been dumb;

And we knew that his spirit was pluming for flight —

That the hour of departure had come.

But the clock kept the time, with a soft and muffled chime,

As we silently stood by his side;

But it stopped short — never to go again —

When the old man died.

Ninety years without slumbering
(tick, tick, tick, tick),
His life's seconds numbering,
(tick, tick, tick, tick),
It stopped short — never to go again —
When the old man died
It stopped short — never to go again —
When the old man died

credits

from Songs From the Bend in the River, track released April 12, 2015
Joe Flood, vocal, banjo, percussion; Joe Fonda, double bass; Scott Kessel, drums, percussion; Mark Herschler, guitar; Chikara Tsuzuki, harmonica; Richard H Jones and Mike Marrington, background vocals

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about

Joe Flood New Haven, Connecticut

Joe Flood is a songwriter, singer, and multi-instrumentalist who has performed, written, and recorded with many of the great names in American roots music, among them The Band, Blues Traveler, Dr. John, Bottle Rockets, Laura Cantrell, Eric Andersen, Happy and Artie Traum, Jim Weider, Eric "Roscoe" Ambel, Jono Manson, and the list goes on! Please visit www.joefloodmusic.com for more information. ... more

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