[Intro: Gentle fingerpicked acoustic guitar, warm resonant bass, faint harmonica] [Verse 1] I planted trees beside the road, Built a house and called it home. Laid the stones and raised the walls, Thinking they would never fall. I watched the seasons come and go, Saw the little children grow. And every year I put away, A little more for some rainy day. [Pre-Chorus: Soft, weathered vocals] But the trees will outlive me, And the walls will change their name. All the things I thought were mine, Will belong to someone someday. [Chorus: Raspy, emotional vocals] We're all living on borrowed time, Holding on to borrowed things. Building castles in the sand, While the ocean slowly sings. And the gold we leave behind, Can't buy another day. We're all living on borrowed time, Till the wind takes us away. [Verse 2] There's a watch inside a drawer, That my father used to wear. It still counts the passing hours, Though the man is no longer there. There's a photograph that's fading, Of a face I used to know. And a thousand little stories, That have nowhere left to go. [Pre-Chorus] And I wonder what they'll keep, When my voice is just a name. Will they remember what I taught, Or only what remains? [Chorus] We're all living on borrowed time, Holding on to borrowed things. Building castles in the sand, While the ocean slowly sings. And the gold we leave behind, Can't buy another day. We're all living on borrowed time, Till the wind takes us away. [Instrumental: Gentle acoustic guitar solo, mournful harmonica, subtle mandolin] [Verse 3] I could leave them all my money, Every acre, every stone. Give them everything I've gathered, Everything I've ever owned. But would they know the value, Of the work that brought it here? Would they know the cost of failure, Or the courage born from fear? Would they learn to grow a garden, Would they lend a helping hand? Would they build upon the things I left, Or sell away the land? [Bridge: Instrumentation fades, intimate gravelly vocals] I don't need my name on buildings, Don't need statues made of stone. I just hope the ones who follow, Find a little light I've shown. And if the things I've taught them, Help them through a darker day, Then maybe something of this life, Will never fade away. [Final Chorus: Stronger acoustic strumming, passionate strained vocals] We're all living on borrowed time, Holding on to borrowed things. But the love we give to others, Has a way of taking wings. And the gold we leave behind, May help them find their way. But the wisdom that we give them, Might be worth more someday. We're all living on borrowed time, And there's nothing wrong with that. It's not the years we're given, But the love we leave intact. [Outro: Soft fingerpicked guitar, faint harmonica] Someday they'll walk beneath those trees, That I planted long ago. They may never know my reasons, Or the dreams I used to hold. But if they stop to find some shade, And rest beneath the leaves, Then something that I started, Will be living on through me. [Softly spoken] Funny thing about time... We spend our lives trying to save it. But it's the one thing we can't keep. [End: Single acoustic guitar chord, natural decay]
