The Old Man of the Sea

In high school one of my favorite books we had to read was The Old Man and the Sea by Ernest Hemingway.  It's about an old fisherman named Santiago who has gone 84 days without catching anything.  On the 85th day he sets out to sea and catches a huge marlin.  He fights with the fish for a few days because neither he or the fish are willing to give in.  Santiago realizes this is no ordinary fish and eventually comes to revere and admire it for its strength and character.  In an unfortunate series of events sharks eventually finish off the fish and all that is left is the skeleton. 

Anyway, it's an excellent book.  It's definitely one of the "classics" for a reason.  Here's the song I wrote inspired by the book...

(Forgive the hair in my face...super annoying but I was sick of refilming, so this is the best we're going to get!)

THE OLD MAN OF THE SEA
The old man of the Sea is a tale for you and me.
His hands were rough from years of working endlessly.

84 days past and still no fish he caught on his line,
But he would not relent and went out to sea again.

And time did pay off, he caught a fish, and he held on tight.
He held on long but in the end he lost the fight.
Farther out to sea he went for he would not give up,
But the old man’s luck was soon to change when he drank from the sea’s bitter cup.

The fish was gone for good, but this old man did not give up dreaming.
He kept his fishing line and pole and he waited for a bite.
He knew that when we wait, good things come to those who are patient.
The old man worked and worked and became a great Sea King.

And time did pay off, he caught those fish, for he held on tight.
He held on long and in the end he won the fight.
Farther out to sea he went for he would not give up.
The old man’s luck had finally changed and he thanked the good Lord above.

At times we’re each this man; hoping, working, endlessly dreaming.
We cannot be deterred if our dream seems lost at sea.
Life does not slow down, we catch up or get left behind,
So like the fisherman, we should always keep our line.

Time does pay off; we’ll catch that dream, when we hold on tight.
If we hold on long, we’ll find that we have not lost the fight.
Farther out in life we go for we must not give up,
Our days and years are marked with trials but with faith, we have enough.