If I Could Lyrics
A brand new baby was born yesterday, just in time
Papa cried, baby cried, said your tears are like mine
I heard some words from a friend on the phone, didn't sound so good
The doctors gave him two weeks to live, I'd give him more if I could
[Hook]
You know that I would now
If only I could
You know that I would now
If only I could
[Verse 2]
Down the middle drops one more grain of sand
They say that new life makes losing life easier to understand
Words are kind they help ease the mind
I'll miss my old friend
And though you've got to go we'll keep a piece of your soul
One goes out, one comes in
[Hook]
You know that I would now
If only I could
You know that I would now
If only I could
About
Jack is pondering the circle of life, and how a new life often comes at the end of another
Q&A
Find answers to frequently asked questions about the song and explore its deeper meaning
It’s related to the first record. The song ‘Mud Football’ on that album was dedicated to Moe Lerner. He was a friend of our family that passed away while I was making ‘Brushfire Fairytales.’ I started writing ‘If I Could’ way back then because he’d meant a lot to a whole lot of people out on the North Shore. And before he passed away, he called around to everybody to let everyone know that he was going. He told everybody that he felt really at peace because he had had a chance to meet his grandkids. That was just really a beautiful thing to me. And I wanted to write about it because he was making jokes and everything when he had only two weeks to live. It was really nice that he was able to be so positive about it. I think it had a lot to do with transferring that love from yourself to your kids and, even more, to your grandkids — passing the love and spirit on. We’re sort of whole ourselves. But then there’s that grander thing of us all being connected.
- 2.Never Know
- 4.Good People
- 5.No Other Way
- 8.Situations
- 9.Crying Shame
- 10.If I Could
- 11.Breakdown
- 12.Belle
- 13.Do You Remember
- 14.Constellations