A TIME TO REPAIR
I typically look to laughter for solace, so at the end of last year, I wrote a song recounting my very practical, if somewhat obsessive attempts to make lemonade out of isolation.
THE YEAR 2020
In the year 2020
When fear ruled the land
And pandemic filled us with gloom
There was nowhere to go
So I took to my bed
And stared at the walls of my room.
But the walls held no comfort
They were dingy and old
A sickly yellowish green
After 20 long years
Of hating that hue
I decided to change up my scene.
CHORUS:
So I scrubbed and I scraped
I sanded and taped
Then we put on a coat of new paint
A robin’s egg blue …
It was beautiful!
I was happy … For one day or two.
But then came the night
When I turned on the light
As I opened our old bathroom door.
The paint was all peeling
There was mold on the ceiling
Why hadn’t I noticed before?
So I scrubbed and I scraped
I sprayed and I taped
Then we put on a coat of new paint
A bright sunny yellow …
It was better than new!
I was happy …
For one day or two.
But yes, there was more…
When I looked at the floor
The wood that had once been so fine
After 20 long years
Of dogs and disasters
My hardwood had lost all its shine.
So I washed and I scrubbed
I waxed and I rubbed
Three times – until that wood glowed
Then we painted the baseboards
And – once again!
But by now, you know how this goes …
In the year 2020
We painted the fence
We washed all the windows and doors.
We cleaned out the closets
We cleaned the garage
Then we painted the office and put in new floors
Now they say next year
Will be better
I can’t wait to start having fun
But sometimes I wonder
When I look at those paint cans
If the kitchen will ever get done!
~ Jackie Morris
Pandora artist and well-known “whistler” Jackie Morris has built a reputation for engaging story songs that combine traditional Folk and Americana styles with contemporary themes. Her background as an editor and advertising copywriter is reflected in her lyrics — laced with humor and irony, sometimes poignant and often thought-provoking — that have helped put the last four of her five albums on the Folk Radio Airplay Charts, as well as her 4th album on RMR’s Top Americana Country Albums Chart for 2014.
All of her music, including THE YEAR 2020, can be heard on her website: www.JackieMorris.net