Stone Soup from Hard Times

© Lyrics: Lauren LeCroy May; Music: Andy May (Swift River Music/BMI)

Behind the Song

Lauren:  This lyric actually combines two trains of thought I had been entertaining when I wrote it. It started with the thought that even when you’re broke, you can enjoy a beautiful day as much as anyone. That got me thinking of other things that enrich our lives yet cost us nothing: Relationships, memories, sunshine, singing, dreams….

The second idea is the thought of joining forces to get through a tough spot. Sometimes it takes a little adversity to get us to dig down and reconnect with what’s really important to us and to pull together to get through the hard times. In that sense, I thought, hard times can be a catalyst – kind of like the stone in the old folk tale, “Stone Soup.” And there it was.

For those who aren’t familiar with the “Stone Soup” story, I retold it my way, and Andy included his reading of my version as a bonus track on Room for Roots.

Andy:  I loved the lyric that Lauren came up with for this song from the first time that I read it. To me, it talked about the challenges and triumphs that we all face in relationships, and the importance of remembering that many of the things we have in our lives don’t cost a thing and yet are priceless. That is what I had in mind when I set out to write the music for this piece.

When it came time for me to plan the production of “Stone Soup from Hard Times” for our Room for Roots CD, Lauren wanted it to be a duet. I am glad that she suggested Maura O’Connell for the part, since we both love her voice and the emotional depth and honesty that she brings to her performances.

Listen

Lyrics

Stone Soup from Hard Times (PDF)

© Lyrics: Lauren LeCroy May; Music: Andy May (Swift River Music/BMI)

These days it seems like hard times are all we’ve got
And hard times are good at feeding fears
It’s up to us to find some stuff to add to the pot—
And make stone soup from these hard times and tears

Chorus:

We’ll search our hearts for little bits of old dreams
Pour in a little love that’s aged like wine
Mix it up with memories and hopes for tomorrow
And make it through by makin’ soup from these hard times
We’ll make it through by makin’ soup from these hard times

The sun that shines like gold over there on Easy Street
Shines just the same on our side of the town
So, whaddya say we catch some rays and not admit defeat
We’ll make stone soup from these hard times we’ve found

Chorus

Bridge:

We’ll add all the things that please us
Winter fires & summer breezes
A joke that always that makes us laugh
Old records on the phonograph
You know it doesn’t cost a thing
To sing a song we love to sing
We’ll cook something up together
Maybe come out even better

Chorus

These days it seems like hard times are all we’ve got
And hard times are good at feeding fears
It’s up to us to find some stuff to add to the pot—
And make stone soup from these hard times and tears

Stone soup from hard times, Stone soup from hard times, Stone soup from hard times
Stone soup from hard times, Stone soup from hard times, Stone soup from hard times

Discography

• Track 5 on Room for Roots, SRM CD-118