[Verse 1]
I’ve gathered things
Throughout my years,
Filled up the rooms,
With souvenirs.
A thousand things
I thought I’d need,
Some bought for love,
Some bought for greed.
[Verse 2]
One bed to sleep,
One chair to rest,
One beating heart
Inside my chest.
A house of things,
A lifetime’s worth,
And all I need
Is one old shirt.
[Chorus]
One shirt,
One pair of shoes,
One life to live,
One life to lose.
The world is wide,
The years are few,
One shirt to wear,
And someone to love you.
[Verse 3]
I’ve watched men climb
For wealth and fame,
Then leave this world
Without their name.
Their houses sold,
Their treasures gone,
The birds still sing,
The world moves on.
[Verse 4]
A child’s small hand,
An old friend’s face,
A Sunday walk,
A quiet place.
A voice you love,
A familiar smile,
Are worth more gold
Than a country mile.
[Chorus]
One shirt,
One pair of shoes,
One life to live,
One life to lose.
The world is wide,
The years are few,
One shirt to wear,
And someone to love you.
[Bridge]
You cannot buy
Another spring,
Or hear again
A lost voice sing.
You cannot save
A single day,
By storing things
You’ll throw away.
[Verse 5]
So let them have
The things I’ve kept,
The books I’ve read,
The bed I’ve slept.
I’ll take the love,
I’ll leave the rest,
And wear the shirt
That fits me best.
[Final Chorus]
One shirt,
One pair of shoes,
One life to live,
One life to lose.
The world is wide,
The years are few,
One shirt to wear,
And someone to love you.
[Outro]
A thousand things,
A lifetime’s worth,
And here I stand,
In one old shirt.
Lyrics Michael Forty
Voice Michael Forty + Friend