Tom T. Hall - Back When the Old Homeplace Was New Lyrics

Well the children come back to see the old home-place
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 home-place gets dust on their new shiny cars
Well they didn't complain about nothing to do back when the old home-place was new
Back when the old home-place 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 home-place was new

[Harmonica]

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 home-place was new
Back when the old home-place...

[Harmonica]

Well 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 tool-shed
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 home-place...