accents

I miss hearing accents
though they sometimes make me sad
because they make me think
of all the relatives I had
in Southern California
aunts and uncles, family friends
and now that they've passed on
I'd like to hear them all again

with the pure vowels of Spanish
the way they rolled their r's
I'd hear them say adios
from the back seat of the car
and then we'd drive home
from where the journey had begun
mom and dad and four kids
north on highway 101

          though I never learned the language well
          my heart has it deep inside
          come in this car of memories
          it's time to take a ride

it hurts when it's all over
when the ones you love move on
and it's painful to remember them
when they've passed and gone
but that's where the beauty lives
when memories survive
don't deny a look inside yourself
to see they're still alive

          though I never learned the language well
          my heart has it deep inside
          come in this car of memories
          it's time to take a ride

I miss hearing accents
though they sometimes make me sad
because they make me think
of all the relatives I had