Hello In There

(Song begins at 1:09)
By John Prine
Rise Up Singing chapter: Time and Changes, p.224

Verses: C Dm G - / / Em - F - / C - G - ://
Chorus: Bb - C - / / Em - F - / C - G - C -

We had an apartment in the city
Me and Loretta liked living there
It'd been years since the kids had grown
A life of their own, left us alone
John and Linda live in Omaha
And Joe is somewhere on the road
We lost Davy in the Korean war
And I still don't know what for; don't matter anymore

Chorus:
You know that old trees just grow stronger (until they rot)
And old rivers grow wilder every day (even the Saco?)
Old people just grow lonesome
Waiting for someone to say, "Hello in there, hello"

Me and Loretta we don't talk much more
She sits and stares through the back door screen
And all the news just repeats itself
Like some forgotten dream that we've both seen
Someday I'll go and call up Rudy
We worked together at the factory
But what could I say when he asks what's new?
"Nothing, what's with you?" "Nothing much to do"

So if you're walking down the street sometime
And spot some hollow, ancient eyes
Please don't just pass 'em by and stare
As if you didn't care; say "Hello in there, hello"

(chords for this last line as in the last line of the chorus: C - G - C -)