What I’ll give you since you asked is all my time together
Take the rugged sunny days, the warm and rocky weather
Take the roads that I have walked along
Looking for tomorrow’s time, peace of mind
As my life spills into yours changing with the hours
Filling up the world with time turning time to flowers
I can show you all the songs
That I never sang to one man before
We have seen a million stones lying by the water
You have climbed the hills with me to the mountain shelter
Taken off the days one by one
Setting them to breathe in the sun
Take the lilies and the lace from the days of childhood
All the willow winding paths leading up and outward
This is what I give
This is what I ask you for nothing more
This is one of three songs on the album that Judy wrote. It's been one of my favorites forever. The entire album is consistently fine, due in part to the arrangements by Joshua Rifkin, who also conducted the studio musicians.
I was in the grocery and thought I heard this song. So I looked up for the ceiling speakers because I know it's a short song and found myself standing directly underneath her recorded voice. I got to the part of "lilies and lace" and immediately recalled the "Wildflowers" album cover in my head. Since I don't have this in my vintage Judy collection, I went out to the goodwill second hand and sure enough there she was smiling at me the same way she smiled when my Dad took me to the record store almost 40 years ago.
This is the first time I am hearing Judy Collins singing this song. I thought it was a Dan Fogelberg song because I first heard it on his album. I love Judy's voice, but the Fogelberg version evokes so much emotion. Maybe because it is a man's voice and II hear myself singing it to my beloved.
I was stopped at a four-way light yesterday and witnessed a young man (early 20s) with his car windows down listening to folk music. I was so taken by the rarity of the scene that I leaned out my car window a little to hear he was listening to. It was Damien Rice. Gives me hope for the future..