New England Porch

Written in 2000 in the parking lot of Haines Memorial State Park in Barrington RI, making me thirty years old at the time.   I was reflecting back on my younger days spent with my grandfather and then growing up with the hope that I would find the same qualities in life that I felt as a kid.  So the name New England Porch is more of a metaphor for everything I hoped life would be as I got older.    As the song indicates, my brother, cousins and family spent a lot of time at my mother's parents house.  It was the "hub" of where the family met for holidays but since my grandparent's house was fairly close to my parents house and my mother worked very close to both,  my brother and I would get dropped off there to spend the day with my grandparents, have dinner there when my mom got out of work and go home to my parents house after dinner.  The song goes on as a young adult wishing for a sense of the wholesome family feelings and well-being I had experienced as a kid.  I was searching for "my yesterday" and was hopeful that I would have my own version of  "New England Porch" as an adult.    The last verse of the song indicates that I found my way to what I hoped for...and I did from 2007 to 2019  but that ended and most of what I felt was my "New England Porch" life went with it.   I hope to get back there again soon.

Verse 1

Lemonade on a lazy New England Sunday

Bocce by the pear tree with Grand Pa Atturio

Looking back, it almost feels like yesterday

His Ingraham Street home was our place to meet and us kids to play

Horseshoes, ballgames, "the good ol' days"

and his New England Porch

Verse 2

A rare Western water view by Looff's Carousel shoreline

Dels with friends by the docks- late summer of 89’

I want window boxes filled with memories

A taste of autumn in the spring would bring me to my knees

And maybe once last thing before my final stand…

a New England Porch

Bridge

Still out searching for that pot of gold

I haven't found that tunnels end light

I'm not gonna give up, I'm gonna hang on and latch on tight

I just might find my heart and soul

I'm not gonna compromise my decisions

I'm gonna get what I came here for and stay

It's gonna be exactly what I envisioned

Hours, minutes, seconds, days

Verse 3

It's the last chapter of a long month of Sundays

There’s solace in my coffee, my taste of Utopia

It's the final page a space now for me to say

"it's been 12 long years, but I think I found my yesterday"

by eleventh hour, the house, the pond, the walks,

and my New England Porch

Ann Marie P. "Oh my gosh, Chris! That’s a great song too! You made me tear up with the first verse. Such happy times at Grandma & Grandpa’s house. They were very good times. Thanks for bringing some of that back to me. Love you"

Cindy K. "Love the lyrics Chris. You are so talented"

Joyce G. "Love this song  Christopher.  So many wonderful memories. Thank you !"

Suzanne M. "Wow wow wow !  Your work is fantastic, mate.  Seriously!  I think you suffer from **big time** imposter syndrome. You write such wonderfully moving lyrics. Beautifully crafted. And piano playing to die for !  You’re lovely to watch and I think your voice is truly gorgeous.  Your guy has done a nice job with the singing, don’t get me wrong, but I felt more when I heard your playing and singing. Raw. Acoustic (if you will). Though it probably helps that I was watching you too. You’re a natural performer.  I’m genuinely impressed.  If you couldn’t tell already !"

 Arian Robert "I've been working on 300 songs in the past 3 to 4 years  for many clients but the last 2 to 3 days ago New England Porch was in my mind the whole day...I was singing it at home!  Then I was like 'hold on - Chris should release these songs!'  I mean this is just the second song and I'm fascinated.  Now I'm so curious about the other ones!   I mean as a person who was only the vocal performer of this song, I was really feeling it!  It felt like "'Ingraham Street" was my neighborhood!  People are gonna feel the same way I think."

Beth "I just watched the videos!! You are fantastic!  New York State Of Mind is one of my favorite songs.  I envy you.  I really hope you can stay clear of the dark and continue to create music.  I imagine your voice is better than you think.  Hearing your music is very uplifting for me. I really love your voice!"