AIN'T LIFE A BROOK

written and performed by Ferron

I watch you reading a book

I get to thinking our love's a polished stone

You give me a long drawn look

I know pretty soon you're gonna leave our home

And of course I mind

Especially when I'm thinking from my heart

But life don't clickety-clack down a straight line track

It come together and it come apart

You say I hope I'm not the kind

To make you feel obliged to go

Ticking through your time 

With a pained look in your eyes

You give me your furniture

Or divide the photographs

Go out to dinner one more time, have ourselves a bottle of wine

And a couple of laughs

When first you left

I stayed so sad I wouldn't sleep

I know that love's a gift, I thought that yours was mine

And something that I could keep

Now I realize

Time is not the only compromise

A bird in the hand could be an all night stand

Between a blazing fire and a pocket of sky

And so I hope I'm not the kind

To make you feel obliged to go

Ticking through your time 

With a pained look in your eyes

I covered the furniture

I framed the photographs

Went out to dinner one more time, had myself a bottle of wine

And a couple of laughs

Just the other day

I got your letter in the mail

I'm happy for you, it's been so long

You've been wanting a cabin in a backwoods trail

And I think that's great

Me, I seem to find myself in school

It's all okay, I just wanna say

I'm so relieved we didn't do it cruel

But ain't life a brook

'Cause when I get to feeling like a polished stone

I get me a long drawn look

It's kind of a drag to find yourself alone

And sometimes I mind

Especially when I'm waiting on your heart

But life don't clickety-clack down a straight line track

It come together and it come apart

'Cause I know you're not the kind

To make me feel obliged to go

Ticking through my time 

With a pained look in my eyes

I sold the furniture

I put away the photographs

Went out to dinner one last time, had myself a bottle of wine

And a couple of laughs

But wasn't it fine...

from The 1980 Vancouver Folk Music Festival

©1980 Nemesis Publishing P.R.O. Canada; Vancouver Folk Music Festival Society

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