she played piano all of her life, mostly she played by ear
in the evening on holidays, and birthdays too, we'd gather round to hear
sometimes she made up her own words
smiling over her shoulder at me
she played all the old hits, she played all her favorites
written before 1953 

she played "tea for two", "it had to be you"
,and "i don't know why i love you like i do"
on "over the rainbow", where the bluebirds fly
she said, "you sing the low part and i'll sing the high." 

then on the day she turned sixty-five, to me the thought occurred
all of those years singing all of those songs, her own voice she'd never heard
i said, "mom, let me do you a favor."
packed my old cassette deck in the car
she played all the old chords as i pressed record
and made her feel like a star 

chorus 

and now she's playing "stardust" in heaven, while saint peter works the gate
up in the attic sorting through her things, i came across the tape
and the voice once so familiar
sounded like never before
there in the stardust i came to see just
who i'd done the favor for 

chorus 

by len handler & kevin briody
© nomore nine to five music, bmi; tune-me-music, bmi