“WE WERE BAREFOOT IN THE WOODS AND LAY UPON THE HONEY GRASS
GROOVIN’ TO THE TUNES OF THE BEACH BOYS AND MAMMA CASS” #jackadams pic.twitter.com/wI1f18k0V4

— 5050songs™ (@5050songs) October 26, 2016

What is the story behind “The Wild Years?” What inspired the song?

Back in the 1970’s I had started writing a song titled “Like The Wind” with the first line of the chorus being “You held my hand we held the wind your hair blew wild in the breeze”  and also contains many of the lines in the current song. A few years ago I came across the unfinished song in my files and it somehow turned into “The Wild Years.”

How long have you been writing songs? Tell us about your musical journey…

I wrote my first song when I was in High School and I’m in my 70’s now so over 50 years.  I really have never shared any of my songs outside of my family and friends until now.  When Trystan Matthews recorded the two songs I wrote in tribute to my mother “Agnes Rose” and “This is the day for our mother” a few years ago I started to think about doing something with the hundreds of songs I have written over the years. We’ll see…Jack Adams

“The Wild Years” ©2016 Jack Adams/Laetoli Music(ASCAP)

Lyrics:

WE WERE BAREFOOT IN THE WOODS AND LAY UPON THE HONEY GRASS
GROOVIN’ TO THE TUNES OF THE BEACH BOYS AND MAMMA CASS
YOU WERE INTO MADRAS PLAID OUR JEANS WERE TIGHT MY CAR WAS FAST
IT WAS JUST OUR WILD YEARS WE LOVED THEM BUT THEY COULDN’T LAST

WE WATCHED THE BLUE BIRD ON THE WING AND WISHED THAT WE COULD FLY THAT WAY
WE WERE INTO MIRACLES WE LOOKED FOR MAGIC EVERY DAY
EVERY NIGHT WE CRUISED THE STRIP AND MADE OUT IN MY CHEVROLET
IT WAS JUST OUR WILD YEARS WE LOVED THEM BUT THEY FLEW AWAY

(CHORUS)
YOU HELD MY HAND WE HELD THE WIND YOUR HAIR BLEW WILD IN THE BREEZE
WE WERE IN A RUSH TO KNOW ALL ABOUT OUR DESTINIES
I HELD YOU TIGHT AGINST THE ODDS THAT THERE WAS HOPE FOR YOU AND ME
WE WERE IN THE WILD YEARS WE REALLY WERE A SIGHT TO SEE

WE STOOD ASIDE AND WATCHED THE FALLS AND FELT THEM POUNDING ON THE ROCKS
THERE’D COME A TIME OUR HEARTS WOULD BREAK IN THOSE DAYS WE STOOD THE SHOCK
WE WERE HIP TO PEACE AND LOVE WE KNEW HOW TO TALK THE TALK
WE WERE IN OUR HIPPIE YEARS WE THOUGHT THE LOVE WOULD NEVER STOP

WE WERE LYING ON THE BEACH FACE UP IN THE SUN
DIDN’T THINK A SUNBURN COULD HURT ANYONE
GOING OUT EVERY NIGHT WE WERE ALWAYS ON THE RUN
WE WERE IN OUR SKINNY YEARS WE THOUGHT THE WEIGHT WOULD NEVER COME

(CHORUS)

WE WERE IN OUR HIGH SCHOOL DAYS THEY WENT BY SO FAST
YOU WERE INTO ENGLISH LITT BUT I WAS ALWAYS CUTTING CLASS
I WAS IN THE SCIENCE FAIR MY ASTEROIDS WERE SUCH A BLAST
IN OUR LEARNING YEARS WE THOUGHT THOSE DAYS WOULD NEVER PASS

(CHORUS)

WE MADE THE DRIVE- IN- MOVIE SCEEN OUR FACES PRESSED AGINST THE GLASS
I WAS INTO STEVE MCQUEEN CAUSE HE WAS ALWAYS DRIVING FAST
YOU WERE ALWAYS RUNNING HOT WHEN HE WAS STARING IN THE CAST
IT WAS JUST OUR WILD YEARS WE LOVED THEM BUT THEY COULDN’T LAST

(CHORUS)

YOU HELD MY HAND WE HELD THE WIND YOUR HAIR BLEW WILD IN THE BREEZE

(REPEAT AND FADE)