When Time Stops
A-Lee Lyrics
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We'd work in the fields till the sun had gone down
We've stood and we've cried as we have bristly watched
A hailstorm a' beatin' our crops to the ground
We've gone to bed hungry many nights in the past
In the good old days when times were bad
No amount of money could buy from me
No amount of money could pay me
To go back and live through it again
I've seen daddy's hands break open and bleed
And I've seen him work till he's stiff as a board
An' I've seen momma layin' in suffer and sickness
In need of a doctor we couldn't afford
Anything at all was more than we had
In the good old days when times were bad
We've got up before and found ice on the floor
Where the wind would blow snow through the cracks in the wall
And I couldn't enjoy then, havin' a boyfriend
I had nothing decent to wear at all
So I long for a love that I never had
In the good old days when times were bad
No amount of money could buy from me
The memories that I have of then
No amount of money could pay me
To go back and live through it again
In the good old days when times were bad
In the good old days when times were bad
In A-Lee's song "When Time Stops," the lyrics depict a heartfelt story of a family who has faced hardships and tribulations in their past. The opening verse describes how the family would wake up before sunrise and work long hours in the fields until sunset to make ends meet. They have endured devastating natural disasters like hailstorms that destroyed their crops, leaving them hungry and in poverty. The chorus reflects on how these tough times have shaped and strengthened their character, and while they wouldn't want to relive those days again, they wouldn't trade the memories for any amount of money.
Line by Line Meaning
We'd get up before sun-up to get the work done up
We used to wake up early to finish the work in the fields
We'd work in the fields till the sun had gone down
Our work in the fields used to last from dawn till dusk
We've stood and we've cried as we have bristly watched
We have shed tears while watching our crops being ruined by hailstorms
A hailstorm a' beatin' our crops to the ground
A hailstorm had destroyed our crops
We've gone to bed hungry many nights in the past
There have been times when we had no food to eat and had to sleep hungry
In the good old days when times were bad
These events happened in the past when times were tough
No amount of money could buy from me
There are some memories that cannot be bought with money
The memories that I have of then
I hold dear the memories of those difficult times
No amount of money could pay me
I would not be willing to relive those experiences, even for money
To go back and live through it again
I don't want to experience those harsh times again
I've seen daddy's hands break open and bleed
I've seen my father's hands bleed due to hard work
And I've seen him work till he's stiff as a board
I've seen him work tirelessly until he could barely move
An' I've seen momma layin' in suffer and sickness
I've seen my mother suffer from sickness and pain
In need of a doctor we couldn't afford
We couldn't afford to pay for a doctor to treat her
Anything at all was more than we had
We had very little, so even small things felt like extravagances
We've got up before and found ice on the floor
On some mornings, we woke up to find ice on the floor due to the bitter cold
Where the wind would blow snow through the cracks in the wall
The walls had cracks that allowed the wind and snow to penetrate inside
And I couldn't enjoy then, havin' a boyfriend
I couldn't even enjoy having a boyfriend at that time
I had nothing decent to wear at all
I didn't have any clothes that were good enough to wear
So I long for a love that I never had
I long for a love that I never experienced because of the difficult circumstances
In the good old days when times were bad
All of these events happened in a time when life was hard
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner/Chappell Music, Inc., Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: DOLLY PARTON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind