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Big Beams

from One with the Water by Dan Berggren

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(© 1992) Asked by Sagamore to sing a song for their historic barn dedication, I wrote this one. Our parents and our teachers pass on their strength to us. They are our big beams.

lyrics

Driving down a back road "Chew Mail Pouch" caught my eye
Faded paint on the side of a barn buried in weeds grown high
Buildings goin' up all over but there's no more need for this one
And that weathered wood has a tale to tell
but there's no one 'round here to listen to those . . .

*Big beams - hand-hewn out of hemlock
Holding tractors, plows and livestock
For the women and men who worked so hard, just like
Big beams - ones you can depend on
To bear the load and send on
The courage and the strength to be big beams

It reminded me of back home and the three barns side by side:
The horse and the sheep and the hay barn, built with muscle and pride
When I worked for my dad in the summer, those dog-days seemed so long
And I wondered what kept him going,
what made my father so strong, just like . . .
*

When we sat in the horse barn doorway, Dad told me stories and dreams
That weathered man had a tale to tell, he'd been working since he was 16
But now we've both grown older, he's not as strong as he used to be
He said: "Where did all my strength go?"
I told him: you gave it to me, you gave me . . .
*

credits

from One with the Water, released June 1, 2002
Dan Berggren - vocal & guitar; recorded live at Troy Savings Bank Music Hall, March 26, 1994.

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Dan Berggren New York

Dan Berggren is a tradition-based songsmith who writes with honesty, humor and a
strong sense of place. His songs explore the many dimensions of home, hard-working
folks, taking care of our planet and each other. Dan’s roots are firmly in the Adirondacks where he was raised but his music has
branched out across many borders. ... more

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