Story Behind The Song

The little street, on a little block, in the little town I grew up on, not unlike thousands of others just like it.

Song Description

Recalling the street I grew up on, and many wonderful childhood memories.

Lyrics

ON HOWARD AVENUE

I REMEMBER HIM LEAVING, TO GO TO WORK EACH DAY
MY DADDY HAD TO DRIVE, TWO HOURS EACH WAY
IN THE EVENING I WOULD SEE HIM TURN THE CORNER, IN THAT FIFTY-TWO DODGE
HE'D PARK IT ON THE STREET, WE DIDN'T HAVE A GARAGE
ALL US KIDS WOULD RIDE OUR BIKES, AND CLIMB TREES
WE HAD OUR SHARE OF SCRAPES, AND SKINNED UP KNEES
THINGS WOULD GET BETTER, IN THE AFTERNOON
WE'D HEAR THE BELLS OF THE ICE CREAM MAN, COMING SOON
(Chorus)
IT WAS A SIMPLE TIME, IN MY NEIGHBORHOOD
WE WERE BY NO MEANS RICH, BUT WE HAD IT QUITE GOOD
WE THOUGHT WE'D LIVE FOREVER, IF WE ONLY KNEW
WE HAD A GOOD TIME, DOWN ON HOWARD AVENUE
I WAS GOOD FRIENDS, WITH ANNA EBERLE
SHE WOULD HEAT HER HOUSE, WITH COAL AND KEROSENE
STEVE AND MARY CAME, HERE FROM ITALY
YOU COULD SMELL HER ITALIAN COOKING, UP AND DOWN THE STREET

OLD MR. KAISER, HAD AN OLD TWENTIES MODEL T
HE LIVED ACROSS THE STREET, FROM OLD MAN FLAHERTY
OLD MR. BINN WOULD YELL AT ME, WHEN MY BALL WENT IN HIS YARD
I NEVER KNEW THEIR STORIES, BUT I'M SURE THEIR LIVES WERE HARD
(Chorus)
IT WAS A SIMPLE TIME, IN MY NEIGHBORHOOD
WE WERE BY NO MEANS RICH, BUT WE HAD IT QUITE GOOD
WE THOUGHT WE'D LIVE FOREVER, IF WE ONLY KNEW
WE HAD A GOOD TIME, DOWN ON HOWARD AVENUE

C 2015 Roger B. Wilson