From the recording Keep This Party Rollin'
My Dad had a local clothing store in a small town for almost 25 years. As the world changed around us, he had to close it down. This song isn't bitter about where the world has gone...rather it just pays homage to a time gone by that I'm glad I got to witness for a few years in my youth.
Lyrics
His name was Joe,
He owned a hardware store
His wife was Betty Jane
His father left it to him
Twenty years before
His grandpa opened it
In nineteen forty-eight
They knew almost every single
Customer by name
Everyone bought everything
From Joe and Betty Jane
Time marches on
And that little store is gone
But the doors are all
Still open in my heart
I’m glad I was around
In that little town
And I’m so glad I bought
From that mom and pop
In their downtown main street shoppe
A big chain moved in,
And others came behind
Joe’s traffic went away
He bought some television ads
And billboard signs
But sales kept on dropping every day
He did everything
That he could possibly afford
To keep that business that he loved
From locking up its doors
My kids will never know
The way it used to be
Discount chains and online stores
Is all they’ll ever see
Time marches on
And that little store is gone
But the doors are all
Still open in my heart
I’m glad I was around
In that little town
And I’m so glad I bought
From that mom and pop
In their downtown main street shoppe
In their downtown main street shoppe