Looking Thru The Years

I was seventeen with a dream and a suitcase

A borrowed guitar and a long winding road

Played every small town stage with a hopeful heart

Finding little pieces of myself in every note

The lights were dim the nights were cold

But the music kept me brave and bold

Didn't have much but I held the song so near

And it carried me year after year

Every crowd felt like a warm embrace

Every smile a spark that lit my way

Didn't know where the journey would lead me

But the music asked me to stay

Looking thru the years I see your faces glowing

Soft applause like a river flowing

From town to town you lifted my soul

You kept this old heart feeling whole

After all these years the melody's clear

I'm still singing because you're here

Looking thru the years, with gratitude I say

You've carried me all the way

Smoky rooms and tender nights of blue

Piano whispers saxophone truths

Bands came and went like chapters in time

But your listening hearts stayed intertwined

I've watched decades drift like falling leaves

Yet the stage still feels like home to me

I tune my guitar and breathe in the air

And suddenly youth is still there

Every handshake every gentle cheer

Made the path ahead feel less unclear

When the roads turned dark and steep

Your love was mine to keep

Looking thru the years I see your faces glowing

Soft applause like a river flowing

From town to town you lifted my soul

You kept this old heart feeling whole

After all these years the melody's clear

I'm still singing because you're here

Looking thru the years with gratitude I say

You've carried me all the way

Let the sax sigh softly

Let the night breathe slow

Time may paint its lines on me

But the music still glows

And if tomorrow brings another stage

I'll step into the light unafraid