Love at the Five and Dime

I love songs that tell stories. One of the best American storyteller songwriters is Nanci Griffith, a singer from Austin, Texas whose pointed and poignant lyrics will sometimes bring tears to your eyes.

One of her best is a song called "Love at the Five and Dime", which tells the story of Eddie and Rita, a couple of starry-eyed young lovers who marry and struggle with the tribulations of marriage and life in south Texas. Eddie plays in a barroom band, Rita is a counter girl at Woolworth's ... after the store closes at night, they dance to the jukebox, the enduring refrain of their feelings for each other.

Life isn't always easy for them, however. After the loss of their first child, they had to grow up fast, and there were missteps along the way. Eddie got crazy and ran off with another woman before returning to Rita and finally settling down.

Now, in later life, Eddie's arthritis "took his hands" and he gets a job selling insurance. Rita writes dimestore novels, and together they settle into the comfortable life of a middle-aged couple.

The story is sweet and touching and will keep you listening closely to see how their life turns out.

Here's a YouTube clip of Nanci performing "Love at the Five and Dime". I especially like her rambling, funny introduction to the song ... she talks about her childhood fascination with the Woolworth store in downtown Austin, where she caught the bus to south Austin and had just enough time to "dig through the record bins, wink at the boys, and get back on the bus."

Nanci's reminiscence about Woolworth's leads beautifully into the tale of Eddie and Rita.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M3uURS1iIVo

 

wow...really love that song, hadnt heard it in years...thanks for the reminder