Lyrics
[Intro - dulcimer solo, slow and warm]
[Verse 1 - soft, intimate, acoustic guitar underneath dulcimer] She liked me before she ever loved me That's a gift not every man receives We were singing on a first date, finding harmonies Before we knew what kind of life we'd weave Thirty-four years of mornings, thirty-four years of grace I still catch myself just staring at her face
[Pre-Chorus - building, upright bass enters] We have walked through fire and we have walked through rain We have buried those we loved and we have shared the pain But every road we traveled, we were never walking alone Every road led back to her, every road led home
[Chorus - full band lift, fiddle up, warm and celebratory] We're still writing our story Still turning every page Still finding something golden At every turn and every age The best verse isn't behind us The melody runs deep We're still writing our story And it's mine and hers to keep
[Verse 2 - tender, drop back to dulcimer and guitar] She gave herself to motherhood completely Three daughters raised on love and laughter and the Lord I'd watch her lead the girl scouts through the meadow And I'd follow with my camera as reward I lost my jobs, we lost family We held each other through the teenage years of dread But we'd pile into the minivan on Sundays And sing every hymn we knew till someone went to bed
[Pre-Chorus - building again, fuller] We have walked through fire and we have walked through rain We have buried those we loved and we have shared the pain But every road we traveled, we were never walking alone Every road led back to her, every road led home
[Chorus - full band, lift] We're still writing our story Still turning every page Still finding something golden At every turn and every age The best verse isn't behind us The melody runs deep We're still writing our story And it's mine and hers to keep
[Bridge - dulcimer lead, sparse, just dulcimer and vocal] Up on the shore at Petoskey Where the stones shine wet and gray She was laughing at something I said And I thought Lord, let me stay Let me stay in this moment Let me stay in this life Let me stay beside this woman My lifelong partner, my wife
[Instrumental break - dulcimer and fiddle trading, building back up]
[Verse 3 - warm, unhurried, full of gratitude] Now she's turning sixty-six come July And I look at her and still don't understand How someone this beautiful, this patient, this faithful Ever chose to take this wandering man's hand She liked me before she ever loved me And she loves me like a river, deep and wide And I am still the luckiest fool breathing With Janet singing right here by my side
[Final Chorus - biggest lift, full band, fiddle soaring] We're still writing our story Still turning every page Still finding something golden At every turn and every age The best verse isn't behind us The melody runs deep We're still writing our story God willing, ours to keep
[Outro - dulcimer fading back to solo, gentle and warm] Still writing, still writing Still writing our story Still writing, still writing And it's mine and hers to keep
[Fade - dulcimer alone]
