Hello in There
Joan Baez Lyrics

We had an apartment in the city,
My wife Loretta and I used to live in an apartment in the city.

Me and Loretta liked living there.
Loretta enjoyed living in the city as much as I did.

It's been years since the kids had grown,
Our children have grown up and left the house many years ago.

A life of their own left us alone.
Now that our children have their own lives, we are left alone with each other.

John and Linda live in Omaha,
Our son John and daughter Linda live in Omaha.

And Joe is somewhere on the road.
Our son Joe is traveling somewhere.

We lost Davy in the Korean war,
Our son Davy died during the Korean war.

Still don't know what for, don't matter anymore.
We still don't understand why he had to die, but it doesn't matter anymore.

Ya know that old trees just grow stronger,
Just like how an old tree grows stronger with time,

And old rivers grow wilder every day.
Old rivers become more lively each day.

But old people just grow lonesome
But old people feel more and more lonely.

Waiting for someone to say, "Hello in there, hello."
Old people wait for someone to acknowledge them and say hello.

Me and Loretta, we don't talk much now.
Loretta and I don't speak to each other as much these days.

She sits and stares through at back door screen.
Loretta spends her time sitting and staring at the back door screen.

And all the news just repeats itself
The news is always the same and seems to repeat itself.

Like some forgotten dream that we've both seen.
It feels like a forgotten dream that Loretta and I have both experienced.

Someday I'll go and call up Rudy,
One day I will call up my old coworker Rudy.

We worked together at the factory.
Rudy and I used to work together at the factory.

But what'd I tell him if he asks "What's new?"
But I don't know what to say if he asks me, "What's new?"

"Nothing, what's with you? Nothing much to do."
"Nothing much is new with me, what about you? There isn't much for me to do."

So if you're walking down the street sometime
So if you are walking down the street one day,

And spot some hollow ancient eyes,
And you see an elderly person with sunken eyes,

Please don't just pass 'em by and stare
Please don't ignore them and stare,

As if you didn't care, say, "Hello in there, hello,"
As if you didn't care, acknowledge them and say, "Hello in there, hello,"

Say, "Hello in there, hello."
Say it again, "Hello in there, hello."