Anyone who's ever sent their grown children off into the world with a bitter-sweet good-bye will be touched by this song about "Mary Louise". Featured on CBC Atlantic Airwaves as part of the Fundy Folk Songwriters Project.

Lyrics

PINE STREET

Mary Louise raised four children, outlived her husband, now lives alone
in the old house on Pine Street; you see her in the evenings,
sitting on the porch swing.

Mary Louise rocked four babies, the wood creaked a lullaby with each to and fro
with the rhythm of growing, the tick tock of aging, the heartbeat of years passing by.

She knew her time would run out, that each one would reach a day
they would need to move on, they would come to her and say,
“I’ll be back please don’t cry”. She would look them in the eye and she’d say,
“One thing you should know, no matter how far you go you’re always halfway from home,
all you’ve got to do is turn around from where you are – oh, won’t you remember that for me?”

Mary Louise would talk to them for hours about hearts and promises, about reading good books,
of loving your neighbour, when to say “I’m sorry”, of being who you want to be,
of chasing your dreams.

And I hear, Evan’s working on his second degree; Stacey’s out west raising a family;
Julie’s got a good job with a firm in Hong Kong; and Adrian - well who knows about Adrian?

Mary Louise sits and wonders what they might be doing on a warm summer’s night.
It was she who gave them so broad a wingspan,
can’t fault them now for flying.

“One thing you should know, no matter how far you go you’re always halfway from home,
all you’ve got to do is turn around from where you are -- it’s never so far after all.”

Mary Louise raised four children, outlived her husband, now lives alone
in the old house on Pine Street; you see her in the evenings,
sitting on the porch swing.

MY COLLECTIBLES
© Sharon Lucy Nauss-Hughes