Nine
Reeves Dianne Lyrics

I remember nine
I vividly recall the time when I was the age of nine

As if it were yesterday
It seems like it was just yesterday that I was that age

I can hear my friends outside of my window
I can still remember the sounds of my friends playing outside of my window

Say, 'Can you come out and play?'
They would often ask me if I could join them in their games

Anna brought a bag of her mama's cooking spoons
My friend Anna brought over a bag of spoons from her mother's kitchen

So we could dig a big hole, to try to reach China
We used those spoons to dig a large hole, with the intention of reaching China

And get there by early noon
We were determined to reach China by noon that day

Our imaginations soared on golden wings
Our imaginations were limitless and we felt as though we could do anything

Across a sky filled with dreams
We dreamed of the possibilities that lay before us

Any child could wear a paper crown
We believed that any child could be royalty by simply wearing a paper crown

And be a king or queen at nine
At the age of nine, we believed that we could be anything we wanted to be

I remember days of playing without a care
I remember the days when I played without any worries or concerns

Then coming home with sniffles and clothes hanging off me
After playing, I would often come home with a runny nose and my clothes disheveled

With leaves in my hair
There would sometimes be leaves stuck in my hair after playing outside

Everybody's child belonged to the neighborhood
All of the children in the neighborhood were like one big family

You could tell your troubles to old Aunt Savannah
We had an elderly woman in the neighborhood named Aunt Savannah who was always willing to listen to our problems

Cause she always understood
She had a way of empathizing with us and making us feel heard and understood

Running endless through a field
We would run without stopping through a nearby field

Of emerald green beneath a broad
The field was a bright green color and was expansive

Open sky
The sky above us was vast and endless

I will treasure all my days when
I will always cherish the memories of when

I was innocent and free at nine
I was innocent and carefree at the age of nine

Runnin' and jumpin' and skippin' and laughin'
We would run, jump, skip, and laugh while playing

Rollin' and shakin' and jokin' and hidin'
We would also roll, shake, joke, and hide

Mother may I, Simon says, you're it, you spit
We played classic children's games such as "Mother May I", "Simon Says", and "Tag"

Hide and seek, you peeked, no I didn't, yes you did
Another game we played was "Hide and Seek", where sometimes there would be disagreements over whether or not someone peeked

You're not fair, I don't care, I saw Sammy's underwear
Children would sometimes argue over fairness and make silly comments like this

Double dutch, kick ball, hop scotch, bobby socks
We also played classic games like "Double Dutch", "Kick Ball", "Hop Scotch", and wore things like "Bobby Socks"

Mary Mack all dressed in black
One game we played was called "Mary Mack", where we would clap hands and sing a song

Who is that? Can she play jacks?
We would often wonder about new children in the neighborhood and ask if they played certain games

I'm the doctor, you're the nurse
We played pretend games where one person was the doctor and another was the nurse

Whatchu' mean, I was first
There would sometimes be disagreements over who was first in line or first to do something

Shovin' and pushin'
Children would sometimes argue and push each other while playing, often over something silly

Cryin' and screamin'
There would sometimes be crying and screaming during games or arguments

Dreamin' and beamin' and dancin' in a line
We would also dance and dream during playtime, often in a line

You show me yours, I'll show you mine
Children would sometimes show each other things, like toys or belongings

Ah uh I'm going home it's dinner time... nine
The day would end and we would have to go back to our homes for dinner, often around the time of nine o'clock