We Just Go On: One January, a few years back, I found myself in Winnipeg for a funeral. It was the grandmother of dear family friends. An amazing woman, Lorna Ellison who passed away at 103. She had spent 103 winters in Manitoba and had led an amazing life. Her many grandchildren spoke of her and all the challenges and obstacles she overcame and her philosophy that guided her through it all – The next day, I found myself alone with some time on my hands and a Grand Piano. Looking out over the snowy Manitoba streetscape, I started writing, imagining a couple trying to make their way on those cold prairies 100 years ago, armed only with grit and a determination to Just go on.
Lyrics
We Just Go On
Winter is sinking its teeth in
Feels close to 40 below
But we just go on dear
We just go on
The woodpile is slowly waning
My bottle of whiskey’s run dry
We just go on dear
We just go on
Oh, we just go on dear
Some will measure their days
By their means and the ways
They horde all the treasure they find
I won’t count our years,
By the heartaches and tears,
But by memories of you at my side
We’ve never had more than we needed
Some days the cupboard’s been bare
We just go on dear
We just go on
The neighbors are coming round Friday
Guitars and fiddle players’ too
We all just go on dear
We all just go on
Oh, we just go on dear
We just go on
If I just count all I’ve sold
Turning time into gold
I’d find myself old and alone
So, I measure our age
By the friends that we’ve made
and by songs that we sing out of tune
The world’s always ripe for the changing
We might be the last of our kind
We just go on dear
We just go on
We just go on dear
We just go on
Oh, we just go on dear
We just go on
