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Mom asked if anyone had anything special to share at the family reunion, to prep for it and we’d present it in whatever form. I was on an airplane on the way to Fargo ND when I got the message, and the first couple lines of this song popped into my head. I quickly recorded it on my iPhone (yes, I was singing to my phone on an airplane, surrounded by other passengers, at 33,000 feet). Took me nearly half a year to get back to it, but here you go.
I accompanied the song with piano, and expected that I would play it that way at the reunion. However, there was no piano handy, so I did it on guitar. Here is how the song was originally conceived.
Oh, one more thing…
That little bridge section “We all wish…” – I didn’t play that part at the reunion. Seemed that folks were a little emotional, and didn’t really need to push that any further.
©2010 Stephen G BrownStarted 12 April on a flight from Dallas to Fargo
Finished 1 September on a flight from Dallas to Baltimore
Well my cousins are my brothers and my sisters too
All of this began when my mother married you
People think it’s crazy but I tell them that it is true
But another big surprise is that I am my cousin, too
Now my father is my uncle and you wonder awkwardly
But he’s not my mother’s brother, which would be kind of icky
So my mother’s sister’s widower is husband to my Ma
Reminds me of that kid who sings he is his own grandpa
My mother has some nieces and a handful of nephews
They all call her aunt but they can call her mother too
Cause my mother went and did something not many people do
That’s the way we ended with this great big motley crew
We all wish we had my dad
We all wish we had aunt pat
But you know that we’re all thrilled
That you’re together
Uncle carrie granddad red, Aunt orange mum dutts Nan
The two of you have loved us more than most people can
So we wish for you the blessings that you have given to us
Thank you for another year here at Canonicus