Sharon's Song

Farewell to the Elbow Room
by Sharon O'Malley

I had just turned 22, the first time that I stepped into that
Dark and hazy smoke filled room
Back in 1982
My boyfriend he was in the band, so
We'd walk there hand in hand
Along the beach, across the sand
Me and my music man

Through the years it came to be
A place I'd go to frequently
Cuz when I did I always knew
I'd meet up with a friend or two
It was just a bar, it could be said, but
Really it was more, instead,
We celebrated newlyweds,
And mourned the passing of our dead

And oh, the stories, those four walls could tell
Of fishermen who made their fortune, then they rang that bell
"raise your glass, let's have a drink
we caught some crab and boy we stink, but
thank God our boat didn't sink,
let's drink to all our health."

There was Andy with his violin
And Teddy playing next to him
While lovers danced chin to chin
And lonely men they sipped their gin
Sure, there was a fight or two
Well, maybe more, I guess that's true, but
There was so much more than that
To keep us coming back

And oh the stories those four walls could tell
Of fishermen who shared their fortune, when they rang that bell
"raise your glass, let's have a toast
we caught some fish, it's time to boast
let's drink to those we love the most
then drink to our new wealth."

I can close my eyes and see
Bobby sitting next to me
While Wendy pours us drinks for free
Cuz tips were good, and so was she...
Or that time when me and Eddie joked
The night before his fishing boat
It lost him to the icy sea
And he never came back home

And oh the stories those four walls could tell
Of fishermen who in their glory, came and rang that bell
"let's drink to our boat
cuz that old girl she stayed afloat,
but let's also remember those
who didn't fare so well."

Those were the days my friends
We thought they'd never end
But end they did, as all things do
When the old becomes the new
Now the time has come to say "so long"
The band has played its final song
The lights are out, the people gone
But somehow it all feels wrong

And oh the stories those four walls could tell
Of boom and bust, love and lust
Barroom brawls, and sometimes just
Ordinary, weekday afternoons
When talk was sweet as friends would meet
To share the latest news

So many ghosts they haunt me still
But I hope they always will
Cuz those years are a part of me
As surely as the wind and sea
As surely as the friends I've made
Those memories they'll never fade
I'll take em with me to the grave
Those bittersweet old days...

And I know my memory will serve me well
Cuz I can close my eyes and hear the ringing of that bell
And I'll remember a time that couldn't last
Cuz it's closing time on the past
Yeah it's closing time, at last
For the Elbow Room....