Yeah, I could tell you lots of things

I grew up on the bay

I used to race my sisters up the fence-side to Mr. Mendley's place

Papa ran the general store

And mama did everything

And the waves and the waves and the sea

Time brought me here like a fishing boat

At the whim of the Atlantic breeze



It was a good life

Yeah, it was a good life

I'd do it all again



I joined the Navy Nurses Corp.

It was 1941

And I met my sailor in that fated harbor

In the days before the bombs came

Hail Mary, I made it home

‘Til I was laughing as my ship went down

Singing and bailing water

Right back to the shores of San Francisco town



It was a good life

Yeah, it was a good life

I'd do it all again



I was hitched out in Reno

I stayed at home and he went out to sweep the mines

I'll never forget the day we heard it on the radio

It was the end of the war

And we laughed and cried and cheered and laughed again

Yeah we cried and cheered like it would be the last one



Yeah sure, yeah sure I've wished for things

I wish I had been there the day that Nancy drowned

I wish I hadn't seen them build a highway

A highway right through my backyard

But you just learn to love the little things

I've lived long enough to know

And I'm still waving from this front porch

And this is still my swan song



It was a good life

Yeah, it was a good life

I'd do it all again