It was my privilege many years ago to see Leonard Cohen in concert.  He loved his songs.  Sometimes he would kneel on the stage as the words kept flowing.  Then he would remove his hat and hold it to his chest.  I saw love there … for the lyrics, for the melody, for us, for life.

I want to sing for people.  I want the songs to reach the audience hearts.  I want each person to feel entered by something marvelous.

This song is “Hello In There” – written and performed by John Prine.  It welcomed me decades ago but I never was brave enough to sing it for anyone.  That has changed.

I love the message: don’t exclude old people.  Welcome them into your fold.  I wonder if the young folks will open to the words of the song.  Hearing it, will they go towards the homeless person lying on their mattress in a doorway?  Or will they continue what the past has been … averting their eyes and walking briskly by?

Will souls be touched by the trembling of my voice, the sweetness of the poetry, the lilt of the melody?  I hope so.  There is much to love in the world.

So here is “Hello In There”.  Perhaps I will sing it for you someday soon.

We have an apartment in the city
Me and Loretta like living there
It’s been years since the kids have grown
A life of their own, left us alone

John and Linda live in Omaha
And Joe is somewhere on the road
We lost Davy in the Korean War
And I still don’t know what for, don’t matter anymore

You know that old trees just grow stronger
And old rivers grow wilder every day
But old people just grow lonesome
Waiting for someone to say “Hello in there, hello”

Me and Loretta, we don’t talk much anymore
She sits and stares through the back door screen
And all the news just repeats itself
Like some forgotten dream … that we’ve both seen

Someday I’ll go and call up Rudy
We worked together at the factory
What would I say if he asks “What’s new?”
“Nothing, what’s with you? Nothing much to do”

You know that old trees just grow stronger
And old rivers grow wilder every day
But old people just grow lonesome
Waiting for someone to say “Hello in there, hello”

So if you’re walking down the street sometime
And spot some hollow ancient eyes
Please don’t pass them by and stare
As if you didn’t care, say “Hello in there, hello”