we had an apartment in the city and me and loretta liked living there it d been years since the kids had grown a life of their own and left us alone john and linda live in omaha and joe is somewhere on the road and we lost davy in the korean war and i still don t know what for it don t matter anymore you know that old trees just grow stronger and old rivers grow wilder every day old people just grow lonesome waiting for someone to say hello in there hello me and loretta we don t talk much more she sits and stares through the back door screen and all the news just repeats itself like some forgotten dream that we ve both seen some day i ll go and call up rudy we worked together at the factory but what could i say when he asks what s new nothin what s with you nothin much to do you know that old trees just grow stronger and old rivers grow wilder every day old people just grow lonesome or waiting for someone to say hello in there hello so if you re walkin down the street some town and spot some hollow ancient eyes oh please don t just pass em by and stare as if you didn t care say hello in there hello 