[Intro — Instrumental | 1910s Tin Pan Alley Foxtrot | 112 BPM | C Major | Stride Piano | Banjo | Clarinet | Light Tuba | Brushed Snare] [Verse 1 — Warm Foxtrot Vocal | Gentle Nostalgia | Syncopated Piano] The morning whistle calls the town, The shutters rise, the shades come down, A nickel jingles in my hand, And I've got dreams as wide as land. The trolley hums along the street, With polished shoes and dancing feet, A little song, a little smile, And worries wait another mile. [Pre-Chorus — Subtle Blues Inflection | Clarinet Answer] Though times were lean and pockets light, We somehow made the whole thing right. With hope tucked safely in our hearts, We'd meet the day and make a start. [Chorus — Full Foxtrot Ensemble | Bright Yet Bittersweet] Oh, when the world was young, And every song was waiting to be sung, We'd laugh beneath the summer sun, And swear tomorrow had begun. Though money might be small, We still found joy in it all— A little hope, a little grace, And tomorrow face to face. [Verse 2 — Storytelling | Ragtime Rhythm | Blues-Tinted Vocal] There's Rosie at the corner store, Dreaming of life beyond the door, And Johnny saves his pennies tight, To take his girl out Friday night. A borrowed dress, a rented room, A fiddle playing an old-time tune, And couples dancing through the night, Beneath the soft electric light. [Chorus — Dance-Hall Lift | Banjo + Piano + Clarinet] Oh, when the world was young, And every heart beat like a drum, We'd dance until the evening through, As though the stars were dancing too. Though clouds might gather overhead, We'd keep our dreams beside the bed, For life was more than what we'd known— There was a wide world of our own. [Bridge — Early Blues Feel | Half-Time | Piano + Clarinet] We had little, but we had time, A borrowed tune and a nickel's dime, A hand to hold, a friend nearby, And hopeful stars across the sky. [Final Chorus — Full Ensemble | Joyful, Bittersweet Crescendo] Oh, when the world was young, And every song had just begun, We'd laugh beneath the golden sun. Though years may carry us away, Those old-time dreams are here to stay. So raise your glass and tap your shoe— To old dreams and the dreams made new. [Outro — Ritardando | Piano + Clarinet | Last Train Whistle] The piano fades, the lights burn low, The last train whistles as we go. And underneath the silver moon, Tomorrow waits to start its tune.
