Song Lyrics Page

Ain't Life a Brook
as recorded by Greg Brown and Bill Morrissey, c. 1994

I watch you reading a book
I get to feeling like 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 speaking from the heart
But life don't clickety-clack down a straightline track
It comes together and it comes apart

And I hope you're not the kind
to make me feel obliged to go
ticking through my time
with a pained look in my eyes

You give me the furniture
We'll divide the photographs
Go out to dinner one more time
Have ourselves a bottle of wine
and a couple of laughs...

Ain't life a brook
Just when I get to feeling like a polished stone
you give me that long, drawn look
It's kind of a drag to find myself alone
and sometimes I mind
Especially when I'm waiting on your heart
But life don't clickety-clack down a straightline track
it comes together and it comes apart

And I know you're not the kind
to make me feel obliged to go
ticking through the time
With a pained look in my 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...

Wasn't it fine?
Yesterday I got your letter in the mail
I'm happy for you, it's been so long
You've been wanting a cabin with a backwoods trail
and I think that's great...
Me, I seem to find myself in school
It's all OK, I just wanted to say
I'm so relieved we didn't do it cruel

I sold the furniture, put away the photographs
went out to dinner one last time
had myself a bottle of wine
and a couple of laughs...