Story Behind The Song

"My grandfather, after a lifetime of marginal business success, retired in Arizona and took up gold prospecting. The last time I saw him before he died he made the request that I one day write a song about a Goldminer who never found his gold. A few years later I came to see how much I had in common with my grandfather. I enjoyed the play on words: 'picking out the time' - which could describe digging for the metal with a pick axe or pursuing fame with a guitar pick."

Song Description

Upbeat song with lots of room for expression and adaptation to most album themes. Story: A seasoned musician stops a youth (perhaps his own son) eager to make his name in the world to give him some hard learned advice: "Choose your living well for every minute is born the seeker of his gold to play the fool". Playing with the phrase "A sucker is born every minute, this essentially means that our dreams of youth eventially make fools of us all. The song admits a certain fatalism, in that youth will pursue its dreams even as the old musician did and his sires before him.

Lyrics

Easy there, my boy, now what?s your hurry? You say you?ve got a plan to stake your claim? Funny, that reminds me of a story of one like you who bore my very name. I can tell you think I?m just a foolish old man, spinning yarns of youth to ease his soul, while your young crystal eyes can see it so clear. Well, let me tell you son before you go?

I?m the son of a son of a gold miner?s promise, picking out the time and growing old in the curse of a curse of a gold miner?s promise, that in my time I?ll take my well-earned gold.

I was just about your age when I left ?Frisco with plans to carve my name across the land. I swore I?d strike gold quicker than the old man who dug his grave in all the gravel he had panned. I?ve played guitar for crowds as big as heaven. I?ve slept with angels trained in devils arts. But never could I rest my aging conscience without the family?s name up on the charts.

I?m the son of a son of a gold miner?s promise, picking out the time and growing old in the curse of a curse of a gold miner?s promise, that in my time I?ll take my well-earned gold. I never sought advice when I was your age, and I don?t expect that trend has really turned, but as it may be the only thing that I take with me, for what it?s worth I?ll tell you what I?ve learned. If you can?t escape the lure of youth?s desire, and you can?t rewind time?s passing ?round the spool, then choose your living well for every minute is born the seeker of his gold to play the fool

Like the son of a son of a gold miner?s promise, picking out the time and growing old in the curse of a curse of a gold miner?s promise, that in my time I?ll take my well-earned gold.