Jacques Brel - Old Folks (Les Vieux) lyrics

The old folks don't talk much
And they talk so slowly when they do
They are rich, they are poor
Their illusions are gone
They share one heart for two

Their homes all smell of thyme
Of old photographs and an old-fashioned song
Though you may live in town
You live so far away
When you've lived too long

And have they laughed too much
Do their dry voices crack
Talking of times gone by
And have they cried too much, a tear or two
Still always seems to cloud the eye

They tremble as they watch
The old silver clock when day is through
It tick-tocks oh so slow, it
Says, "Yes, " it says, "No"
It says, "I'll wait for you"

The old folks dream no more
The books have gone to sleep
The piano's out of tune
The little cat is dead and
No more do they sing on a Sunday afternoon

The old folks move no more
Their world's become too small
Their bodies feel like lead
They might look out the window or
Else sit in a chair or else they stay in bed

And if they still go out, arm in arm
Arm in arm in the morning's chill
It's to have a good cry
To say their last good-bye
To one who's older still

And then they go home to the old silver clock
When day is through
It tick-tocks oh so slow, it
Says, "Yes, " it says, "No"
It says, "I'll wait for you"

The old folks never die
They just put down their heads and
Go to sleep one day
They hold each other's hand like
Children in the dark
But one will get lost anyway

And the other will remain just
Sitting in that room which makes no sound
It doesn't matter now, the song has died away
And echoes all around

You'll see them when they walk
Through the sun-filled park
Where children run and play
It hurts too much to smile
It hurts too much but life goes on
For still another day

As they try to escape the old silver clock
When day is through
It tick-tocks oh so slow, it
Says, "Yes, " it says, "No"
It says, "I'll wait for you"

The old
Old silver clock that's hanging on the wall
That wait's for us all