This I Promise You
Dinah Washington & Brook Benton Lyrics

On a quiet street
In a peaceful, serene neighborhood

In the city
Within an urban environment

A little old man walked along
An elderly gentleman strolled down the path

Shufflin' thru the autumn afternoon
Moving slowly through the fall day

And the autumn leaves reminded him
The foliage served as a reminder

Another summer's come and gone
One more summer has passed

He had a lonely night ahead
He anticipated a night of solitude

Waitin' for June
Anticipation for the arrival of June

Then among the leaves
Amidst the fallen leaves

Near the orphan's home
In proximity to the orphanage

A piece of paper caught his eye
He noticed a paper that captured his attention

And he stooped to pick it up with trembling hands
Bending down, he picked it up while his hands trembled

As he read the childish writing
Upon reading the innocent handwriting

The old man began to cry
Tears started flowing from the old man's eyes

'Cause the words burned inside of him
The words deeply affected him

Like a brand
Similar to a searing mark

Whoever finds this I love you
To whoever discovers this, know that I cherish you

Whoever finds this I need you
To the one who stumbles upon this, understand that I depend on you

I ain't even got no one to talk to
I don't even have someone to converse with

So whoever finds this I love you
Hence, to the fortunate individual who discovers this, know that I hold affection for you

The old man's eyes searched the orphan's home
The elderly man's gaze explored the surroundings of the orphanage

And came to rest upon a child
Eventually fixing on a young girl

With her nose pressed up against the window pane
As her nose touched the window glass

And the old man knew he'd found a friend at last
That moment, the old man discovered a companion he had longed for

So he waved at her and smiled
Consequently, he greeted her with a wave and a smile

And they both knew they'd spend the winter laughing at the rain
Both of them were aware that they would joyfully endure the rainy winter together

And they did spend the winter laughing at the rain
Indeed, they shared laughter during the rain-filled winter

Talking thru the trees and exchanging little gifts
Engaging in conversations amid the trees and exchanging small presents

They'd made for each other
Crafted for the other person

The old man would carve toys for the little girl
The elderly man would skillfully create toys for the young girl

And she would draw picture for him of beautiful ladies
In return, she would draw pictures of elegant women for him

Surrounded by green trees and sunshine
Encircled by lush trees and abundant sunlight

And they laughed a lot
They shared many moments of laughter

But then on the first day of June
However, on the initial day of June

The little girl ran to the fence to show
The young girl hurried to the fence, intending to display

The old man a picture she had drawn
The picture she had created for the elderly man

But he wasn't there
To her dismay, he was absent

And somehow the little girl knew he wasn't coming back
Somehow, the young girl had an intuition that he wouldn't return

So she went back to her little room
Thus, she retreated to her small chamber

Took a crayon, piece of paper and wrote:
She then picked up a crayon, a sheet of paper, and wrote down:

Whoever finds this I love you
Should someone stumble upon this, please know that I deeply care for you

Whoever finds this I need you
To the lucky individual who discovers this, understand that I require your presence

I ain't even got no one to talk to
I don't even have someone to converse with

So whoever finds this I love you
Therefore, to whoever discovers this, be aware that I hold love for you