George Mann - One Day You Just Wake Up and You​’​re Old

Close your eyes now, Nicky, I’ve got one more story left
Then I’ll sing “Goodnight Irene” and put your name in once again
You know your uncle loves you and he’ll be here ‘til the end
But no one knows just how long that might be

Let me tell you something that my uncle said to me
Always stand on principle, and you’ll always be free
Choose your best friends wisely, tend those friendships carefully
And then you’ll never truly be alonе

I’m running out of paper and I’m running out of time
I long ago ran out jokes and I’m running out of rhymеs
And I spent too much time searching for a pot of gold
One day you just wake up and you’re old

And when your eyes are open, you’ll see things you can’t ignore
How life rewards the powerful and shunts aside the poor
And once you’ve had a taste of it you’ll keep on wanting more
And then you find out nothing comes for free

I’m running out of paper and I’m running out of time
I long ago ran out jokes and I’m running out of rhymes
You spend your life in labor trying to build a pot of gold
But one day you just wake up and you’re rolled

So close your eyes now, Nicky, let me take you for a ride
We’ll travel past the grief and loss come through the other side
If I could spare you all this pain, you know that I would try
But George’s magic only goes so far
I’m running out of paper and I’m running out of time
I long ago ran out jokes and I’m running out of rhymes
And I put too much faith in people I was counting on
One day you just wake up and they’re gone
Don’t spend too much time searching for a pot of gold
One day you just wake up and you’re old