From the recording Demos
This is a demo of the song, "Why Old Men Cry
Lyrics
Why Old Men Cry. Words and Music by Joe Black
© 2025 – Lanitunes Music (ASCAP) All Rights Reserved
This old photo’s a reminder
Of our wedding day
Your white veil cascades behind you
As you’re tossing your bouquet
Memories are fleeting
The tell the truth and then they lie
Hearts aren’t just for beating
That’s why old men cry
Every tear’s a gentle elegy
That makes a tiny splash
Shifting pitch and melody
As it drops into this glass
I tap a note into the evening
Ring a bittersweet goodbye
To the loved ones always leaving
That’s why old men cry
CHORUS:
Tears of sorrow, tears of truth
Tears of awe and tears of caution
Happy tears of wasted youth
Tears that come from sheer exhaustion
Tears of memories that taunt :
“You can't stop us if you try”
That's why old men cry
That's why old men cry
And the promise of tomorrow
Lost the joy that it once brought
No time left to steal or borrow
Just the ticking of the clock
Posting sticky notes on treasure
So kin can come on by
And pick through at their leisure
That’s why old men cry.
BRIDGE:
Faded power, faded beauty
Faded scars worn down by toil
Patriotic calls to duty
The stench of midnight oil
O the songs that we once chanted
Till our throats were raw and dry
Our wine’s long been decanted
That’s why old men cry
And the seedlings that we planted
Are now wild and overgrown
Our children, firmly landed
All have gardens of their own
The meager harvests we once gleaned
Have increased and multiplied
And I hold you in my dreams
That’s why old men cry