[The Garden of Soul] [ Short Intro - 4 bars ] A soft acoustic chord begins to play, Welcoming the stillness of the day. [ Verse 1: Intimate Vulnerable Vocals ] I lean on the wall where the plaster is cold, Watching the morning turn silver and gold. The house is a vessel of silence and wood, Where decades of living have stood where they should. [ Pre-Chorus 1: Building Emotional Tension, Passionate Vocals ] The clock on the mantle is counting the beat, The echoes are soft on a lonely-worn street. [ Chorus 1: Upfront Solo Vocals, Clear Articulation ] The silence is heavy, a powerful sound, Where shadows of longing are easily found. But life is much more than the rise and the fall, In the garden of soul, there is peace for us all. [ Verse 2: Intimate Vulnerable Vocals ] I pull my old oak chair right up to the glass, To watch all the seasons and memories pass. The loyal dog rests on the top of my shoe, He feels that the spirits are visiting too. [ Pre-Chorus 2: Building Emotional Tension, Passionate Vocals ] The dust in the sunbeams is starting to dance, A world of the past in a singular glance. [ Chorus 2: Upfront Solo Vocals, Clear Articulation ] The silence is heavy, a powerful sound, Where shadows of longing are easily found. But life is much more than the rise and the fall, In the garden of soul, there is peace for us all. [Instrumental Break - Melodic Piano Solo and Acoustic Guitar Accents] [ Bridge 1: Dry Upfront Vocals, Crisp Piano, Tight Rhythm ] I reach for the pen and I draw that red ring, Of seventy-five years and what winter can bring. That mark on the Monday is heavy and deep, A promise of memories I'm destined to keep. [ Verse 3: Intimate Vulnerable Vocals ] The traffic below is a river of blue, A flickering pulse as the evening comes through. I wonder where all of those decades have gone, While seventy-five winters keep carrying on. [ Pre-Chorus 3: Building Emotional Tension, Passionate Vocals ] The faithful old hound is asleep at my feet, The bitter is turning to something so sweet. [ Chorus 3: Upfront Solo Vocals, Clear Articulation ] The silence is heavy, a powerful sound, Where shadows of longing are easily found. But life is much more than the rise and the fall, In the garden of soul, there is peace for us all. [ Bridge 2: Dry Upfront Vocals, Crisp Piano, Tight Rhythm ] The kitchen lamp hums like a tired old friend, I reach for the glass where the heartaches all end. To my dear departed wife Annie, I'd like to wish you a Happy 50th Aniversary today, In amber-gold liquid, the worries will stray. [ Verse 4: Intimate Vulnerable Vocals ] The darkness arrives with a very soft breath, A hard-earned quiet that’s stronger than death. The wine of the past has a rich, steady flow, I’m finally home in the silence I know. [ Pre-Chorus 4: Building Emotional Tension, Passionate Vocals ] The stars take their place as the sun fades to gray, I’ve found back the peace that the world took away. [ Final Chorus: Upfront Solo Vocals, Clear Articulation ] The silence is sacred, a beautiful sound, Where the roots of a lifetime are finally found. For life is much more than the rise and the fall, In the garden of soul, we are standing so tall. [ Outro: Upfront Dry Vocals, Fading Emotional Resonance ] The amber is low and the candle is spent, I live in the peace where the memories went.
