Portraits in Blue - The C Chord

Sometimes my old man would let me sit under the piano when he was rehearsing. He'd say to me, "If you're quiet, and I mean quiet, I'll let you sit under the piano. But you got to be real quiet." I'd sit under that baby grand with my legs crossed, afraid to breathe 'cause I might make too much noise. I would sit and soak in all them sounds, honey. One night, my dad asks me if I want to sit on his lap. I mean this was nothing he'd ever done before. He took his rehearsin' real seriously. Then he asked me if I wanted to learn how to play a C chord. He shows me where to put my fingers on them big white keys. And I got tell you I am concentratin' real hard, honey. I'm gonna learn to play that C chord. He tells me to keep practicing so that the next time, I can play it for him. I practiced that chord over and over again. He never came home after that night. I mean never. But you can bet I remember how to play a C chord honey. I still remember how to play a C chord.