Hello In There

by John Prine





We had an apartment in the city

Me and Loretta liked living there

And it'd been years since the kids had grown

A life of their own, 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, don't matter anymore



Cho: You know that old trees just grow stronger

And old rivers get wilder every day

Old people just get 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 weve both seen



Some day I'll go and call up Rudy

We worked together at the factory

But what'll I say when he asks, "What's new?"

"Nothin'. What's with you?" Nothin' much to do.



Cho.



So if you're walkin' down the street some day

And spot some hollow, ancient eyes

Please don't just pass 'em by and stare

As if you didn't care, say "Hello in there, Hello."