Before the times of giant farming equipment And one outfit tending thousands of acres There were thousands of small family farms All across this nation It kept us going and made us strong We learned the value of hard work All us kids thought it was terrible Now we're all grown up and getting old And some of us long for those simpler times Grandpa's tractor sits rusted in the field Old straw hat with the green visor Was his ultraviolet shield He tilled that ground with calloused hand A king on his own small patch of land I remember a time when I was a kid It was early to rise and get to the field Gotta chop the cotton It seemed like torture at the time But that kinda work is now forgotten Now concrete sprawls where corn once grew I remember those times barefoot in the morning dew Dirt and dreams a fading memory The heartland's beat a quiet elegy Farms fall silent one by one Where did all the good times run Grandma's pies warm from the stove A lifetime of stories in every grove Her kitchen smelled of apples sweet Now just a sign saying "For Lease" on the street She wasn't the kind of woman That stayed silent like a mouse She was a strong woman And she ran that house Made sure the pantry was stocked and the canning was done Being ready for the coming winter was priority one I still see the screen door slam at dusk Hear the rain hit the corn crib roof Feed the chickens and water the dogs Close all the gates and slop the hogs Another fence mended and pulled tight But I remember the sweat in every acre And the way we thanked God every night Big chains roll in with their shiny lies A tear in every mother's eyes Dirt and dreams a fading memory The heartland's beat a quiet elegy Farms fall silent one by one Where did all the good times run
