I remember back in college It was sometime in the fall I was walking by a Maple tree Flaming red and tall
And as I passed beneath it One leaf out of that flame Fell right into my breast pocket And I haven't been the same
It was like the whole world Was a big hourglass Top is like the future, bottom like the past And at that narrow middle part Where only one grain can pass Is the ever-living moment And I want to understand That simple grain of sand
It was somewhere in Nebraska We'd been driving quite awhile When I glanced over at my daughter She had this very special smile
It had this extra little wrinkle Like my grandma's used to do And for a moment it was real hard To tell the difference 'tween the two
It was like my family Was a big hourglass My daughter, like the future Grandma, like the past And at that little moment Where only one smile can pass The two were joined together And I want to understand This simple grain of sand
Spring is coming on here There's moisture in the breeze The river is running higher Buds are popping in the trees
So I picked up my guitar today I didn't really have a plan And this song just kind of jumped right out Buds were popping in my hands
And it's like the whole world Is a big hourglass Top is like the future, bottom like the past And at that narrow middle part Where only one grain can pass Is the ever-living moment And I want to understand That simple grain of sand Like my daughters's smile Like that Maple leaf I will give to you this moment Because it's my belief That the middle of the hourglass Is this place where I now stand So I'll do my best to sing And try to understand This simple grain of sand
