Back not all that long ago on the West family farm 
Fires burned warm at night grantin’ shelter from the storm 
We could swim and fish all day, not a worry or a care 
An’ when we got back to the house, supper was waiting there 

These days, the good life’s hard to find 
Tryin’ to put food on the table 
We stretch the ties that bind 
Seems love for God and family 
Is goin’ out of style 
Takes a lot to smile, these days 

Guess it’s true we all grow old an’ leave the simple past 
Move on in to the city where the neon pace is fast 
Wrong-way streets an’ broken dreams, bitter memories that don’t pass 
An’ at the bottom of this bottle there’s just an empty glass 

These days, love is growin’ cold 
On the altar of technology 
We sacrifice our soul 
Fiction rules the classroom 
While truth is put on trial 
Takes a lot to smile, these days 

Seems that life’s just one big lesson, you’re never out of school 
All these things they brag about are really not that cool 

These days, divided votes are cast 
At the turn of a new century 
Fear is risin’ fast 
Security and freedom 
Are hard to reconcile 
Takes a lot to smile, these days 
Yeah, takes a lot to smile, these days


Copyright Freedom Tracks Music ASCAP