There Was a Time

[Verse 1]
There was a time
When folks kept their word
A handshake meant it
That was enough to be heard
They looked you in the eye
Did what they said they'd do
No need for a hundred reasons
Just a promise made true
[Pre-Chorus]
Now I sit on the porch
Watch the dust roll by
And I can't help thinking
Where did that good go by?
[Chorus]
There was a time
There was a time
When hearts were plain and strong
There was a time
There was a time
When right could hold on long
It's sad my children never knew
The world when love stood tall
I really wish
I could give them all
[Verse 2]
My boy asked me one day
"Was it always this cold?"
I said, "No, son, not always
Used to be something bold"
Mamas brought the pie out
Neighbors stayed till dark
Kids ran through the screen door
Dust on their shoes and sparks
[Pre-Chorus]
Now the screen door hangs crooked
And the fields grow thin
But I still hear the laughter
Like it's living back then
[Chorus]
There was a time
There was a time
When hearts were plain and strong
There was a time
There was a time
When right could hold on long
It's sad my children never knew
The world when love stood tall
I really wish
I could give them all
[Bridge]
Maybe it's still somewhere
Under these old boards
In a Sunday supper prayer
In the words we save for more
If I get one thing right
Before my working days are through
I'll leave them a little of that time
So they'll know it too
[Chorus]
There was a time
There was a time
When hearts were plain and strong
There was a time
There was a time
When right could hold on long
It's sad my children never knew
The world when love stood tall
I really wish
I could give them all

Country ballad with steady mid-tempo swing, fingerpicked acoustic guitar, warm bass, brushed drums, and a pedal steel that answers each line; verse leans intimate and story-led, pre-chorus opens with rising harmony, chorus blooms with stacked male vocals and a singable hook. Fiddle lifts between phrases, soft mandolin chop adds motion, and a final chorus adds handclaps and steel glides. Mix is warm, open, and front-porch honest., country, world, sad