The Matriarch
by @tspoon
Liner Notes
#tribute #acoustic This song is about my mother-in-law. We lost her this past fall at age 86, to kidney failure. My wife spent the last month of her life with her, whilst she was on Home Hospice. I began writing this song in the fall during this time as I learned more about her whole life story. Though she was a big part of my life for 30 years, I didn’t know a lot about her early life until I would sit with her in her final weeks. She loved telling the story of how she met her husband at the Como Park pavilion. They were married for 60+ years. It was comforting that we had a lot of time with her before she passed. She had 6 children, 4 grand kids and 4 great grand kids. She was truly an amazing matriarch.
Lyrics
She left her home at seventeen left the farm for the city finished high school and hit the road looking for work, or so im told
Found a job as a girl Friday Found a room where she could stay She worked hard all those days was free to come and free to play
The Matriarch She saw him one night at the pavilion She could see he was a civilian Standing in line for ice cream she was the best he’d ever seen
War was over and they were young she walked to him and to him she clung They would never leave each other’s sides they stayed together for all the rides
The Matriarch So they met the priest, and without delay they found a home for her to make She loved their life so free and Easy one day soon there was maternity
They settled down in West St Paul the family soon numbered six in all She raised the kids, while he worked nights She was the mother and the good wife
After some years of city life a serious talk between man and wife Decided he wanted to farm the land So they moved the family south as planned
She went along the best she could She made a deal on which she stood She made the best of the situation She made a home, in the new location The Matriarch Life wasn’t always easy on the farm Through rain and snow, cold and warm She’d get the kids ready for school She taught them all the golden rule
The kids got older she went to work Became an honest bankers clerk She worked the bank for many years Through all the trials and the tears
The Matriarch Looking back now on eight decades she had it all, she had it made She had so much love in this life More than a mother and the good wife
Comments
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My condolences to you and your wife and family on the loss of your mother in law. This song is an incredible gift and tribute to her. It’s so bittersweet that you had the opportunity to sit with her and hear her stories of her early life as her days grew short. The details are so vivid with a time and place on her journey. It’s truly a living history that was passed on to you and you did beautiful work translating it all into a story song. A very strong finish to a very strong FAWM for you.
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Sorry again Tim for all of the loss in your family over the last year. What a lovely tribute. The way you sing the chorus is so wonderful and engaging and it propels the song along so you want to listen intently to all of the verses, and there is so much detail there. Really great storytelling. I think this might be your finest FAWM song this year. A great way to close it out. And a beautiful way to remember your mother in law.
Perfect recording. Nothing gets in the way. Just draws you in. You should share this song with those who were close to her.
Congrats on a great FAWM. I know the year was rough, but the songs you came up to honor your loved ones who passed were the highlights for me. I appreciate your comments on my songs too. Always great to reconnect for this.