1) Big Tom was I… Read Full Bio ↴There are several musicians with this name, including:
1) Big Tom was Irish country music singer Tom McBride (18 September 1936 – 17 April 2018).
2) Big Tom is a techno musician.
1) Tom McBride (18 September 1936 – 17 April 2018), also known as Big Tom, was an Irish country music, Traditional Irish music and Easy Listening singer, guitarist, and saxophone player. Established in 1966, he featured as the frontman of the Irish showband Big Tom & The Mainliners. He was affectionally known as 'Ireland's king of country music'.
2) Big Tom is a techno musician.
Grandfather Clock
Big Tom Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
So it stood ninety years on the floor
It was taller by half than the old man himself
Though it weighed not a penny weight more
It was bought on the morn of the day that he was born
And was always his treasure and pride
But it stopped short never to go again
In watching its pendulum swing to and fro
Many hours had he spent while a boy
And in childhood a man who the clock seemed to know
And it shared both his grief and his joy
For it struck twentyfour when he entered at the door
With a blooning and beautiful bride
But it stopped short never to go again
When the old man died
Instrumental
My grandfather said that of those he could hire
Not a servant so faithful he'd found
For it wasted no time and had but one desire
At the close of each week to be wound
And it kept in its place not a frown upon its face
And the hands never hung by its side
But it stopped short never to go again
When the old man died
It rang an alarm in the dead of the night
An alarm that for years had been dumb
And we knew that his spirit was planning for flight
That the hour of departure had come
Still the clock kept the time
With a soft and muffled chime
As we silently stood by his side
But it stopped short never to go again
When the old man died
Many years without slumbering (tic tac tic tac)
His life′s seconds numbering (tic tac tic tac)
It stopped short never to go again
When the old man died
"Grandfather Clock" is a song that tells the story of an antique clock that has been in the possession of a family for ninety years. The clock was too big to fit on a shelf, so it stood on the floor, standing taller than any person in the family. It was bought on the day that the singer's grandfather was born and became his great treasure throughout his life. The clock kept ticking away, keeping time while the singer's grandfather experienced both joy and grief.
The clock also served as a symbol of steadfastness and loyalty, as it was always reliable and never wasted any time. Even in the dead of the night, it rang an alarm that had been silent for years, alerting the family to the time of their grandfather's passing. The clock ticked on softly as the family stood by their grandfather's side, and its ticking ceased forever upon his death.
The song speaks to the value of family heirlooms and the way that they can hold immense meaning and memories for those who inherit them. The clock itself becomes a character in the song, symbolizing the grandfather's constant presence in his family's life.
Line by Line Meaning
My grandfather′s clock was too large for the shelf
The clock owned by my grandfather was too large for the shelf he wanted to put it on
So it stood ninety years on the floor
The clock was on the floor for 90 years
It was taller by half than the old man himself
The clock was half a foot taller than my grandfather
Though it weighed not a penny weight more
The weight of the clock was not more than a penny
It was bought on the morn of the day that he was born
The clock was purchased on the day my grandfather was born
And was always his treasure and pride
The clock was always very valuable and dear to my grandfather
But it stopped short never to go again
When the old man died
The clock stopped working permanently when my grandfather passed away
In watching its pendulum swing to and fro
Many hours had he spent while a boy
During his childhood, my grandfather spent long hours watching the pendulum move back and forth
And in childhood a man who the clock seemed to know
And it shared both his grief and his joy
The clock seemed to understand my grandfather's emotions and provided comfort to him in moments of both happiness and sadness
For it struck twentyfour when he entered at the door
With a blooning and beautiful bride
The clock struck 24 when my grandfather entered the room with his beautiful bride
Instrumental
This line serves as an instrumental break in the song
My grandfather said that of those he could hire
Not a servant so faithful he'd found
My grandfather believed that there was no hired help as reliable and dependable as the clock
For it wasted no time and had but one desire
At the close of each week to be wound
Its only desire was to be wound up at the end of each week, and it never wasted any time
And it kept in its place not a frown upon its face
And the hands never hung by its side
The clock always maintained a happy demeanor and had hands that never drooped or sagged
But it stopped short never to go again
When the old man died
Unfortunately, the clock stopped working permanently when my grandfather died
It rang an alarm in the dead of the night
An alarm that for years had been dumb
The clock rang an alarm in the middle of the night, which had not worked for years
And we knew that his spirit was planning for flight
That the hour of departure had come
The ringing of the clock signaled that my grandfather's spirit was preparing to leave this world
Still the clock kept the time
With a soft and muffled chime
As we silently stood by his side
The clock continued to keep accurate time, making a gentle, muted sound as we mourned by my grandfather's side
But it stopped short never to go again
When the old man died
This final line reiterates that the clock never worked again after my grandfather passed away
Many years without slumbering (tic tac tic tac)
His life′s seconds numbering (tic tac tic tac)
It stopped short never to go again
When the old man died
A repetitive chorus emphasizing that the clock kept ticking for many years, counting my grandfather's seconds of life, but unfortunately stopped permanently when he died
Writer(s): Robert Shaw, Henry C. Work, Ralph Hunter
Contributed by Maya A. Suggest a correction in the comments below.