I remember a time
When the bloom was on the cotton
When our hearts chased the clouds
Like the swallow on the wing

When our cares, which were already few
Were soon forgotten
Just sittin' on the front porch swing

Oh, we'd sit every Sunday
And watched the married ladies
And we'd dream of white dresses
And churchbells in the spring
And they'd talk and paint their nails
While they'd let us hold their babies
Sittin' on the front porch swing

Where was I when the time came
To join the married ladies
Why did I paint the nail
When the finger had no ring
Why do I sit at my age
And long to hold their babies
Sittin' on the front porch swing

When the mind longs to follow
But the memory erases
And the lips form the words
But the heart no longer sings
When the leaves in the hollow
Have been dyed to match our faces
Sittin' on the front porch swing

Oh, we'll dream of the time
When the bloom was on the cotton
When our hearts chased the clouds
Like the swallow on the wing
But the words to the rhyme
Are not the only thing forgotten
Sittin' on the front porch swing
Sittin' on the front porch swing