Silver gray hair neatly combed in place
There were four generations of love on her face
She was so wise, no surprise passed her eyes
She'd seen it all
I was a child, oh, about three or four
All day I'd ask questions
At night I'd ask more
But whenever, she never would ever turn me away
I'd say, "How can I be sure what is right or wrong?
And why does what I want always take so long?
Please tell me where does God live
And why won't He talk to me?"
I'd say, "Grandma what is love?
Will I ever find out?
Why are we so poor, what is life about?
I wanna know the answers before I fall off to sleep"
She sort of smiled as she tucked me in
Then she pulled up that old rockin' chair once again
But tonight she was slightly, remarkably
Different somehow
Slowly she rocked, lookin' half asleep
Grandma yawned as she stretched
Then she started to speak
What she told me would mold me and hold me together inside
She said, "All the things you ask you will know someday
But you have got to live in a patient way
God put us here by fate
And by fate that means better days"
She said, "Child we all are moons in the dark of night
Ain't no morning gonna come 'til the time is right
Can't get to better days lest you make it through the night
You gotta make it through the night, yes you do"
You can't get to no better days
Unless you make it through the night
Oh, you will see those better days
But you gotta be patient
Be patient oh baby, be patient
Later that year at the turn of spring
Heaven sent angels down and gave Grandma her wings
Now she's flying and sliding and gliding
In better days
And although I'm all grown up
I still get confused
I stumble through the dark
Getting bumped and bruised
When night gets in my way
I could still hear my Grandma say
I can hear her say
I can hear her say
("Be patient, be patient")
"You can't get to no better days
Unless you make it through the night baby
Oh, you will see those better days"
("Be patient, be patient")
"But you gotta be patient
Child, do you hear me, yeah?"
("Be patient, be patient")
"You can't get to no better days
Unless you make it, you got to make it
You got to make it
You got to make it through the night"
("Be patient, be patient")
Oh Grandma, oh Grandma
Do you see me now, lady?
Oh oh oh oh oh
("Be patient, be patient")
She used to sit me on her knee
She used to comb my hair
She used to tell me stories
My Grandma took me everywhere