“Faded photographs, covered now with lines and creases…”   

This is the opening line of  “Traces,” a song from my high school years that was recorded by the Classics IV and released in January, 1969.

Written by Buddy Buie, J. R. Cobb, and Emory Gordy Jr., “Traces” reached Number 2 on both the Billboard Hot 100 and Easy Listening music charts and was the highest charting single by the Classics IV.

“Faded photographs, covered now with lines and creases

Tickets torn in half, memories in bits and pieces

Traces of love, long ago, that didn’t work out right

Traces of love

Ribbons from her hair, souvenirs of days together

The ring she used to wear, pages from an old love letter

Traces of love, long ago, that didn’t work out right

Traces of love, with me tonight

I close my eyes and say a prayer

That in her heart, she’ll find, a trace of love still there,

Somewhere, oh

Traces of hope, in the night, that she’ll come back and dry

These, traces of tears, from my eyes

Oh oh oh oh”

Thanks to This Thing Called Life One Word At a Time for hosting this challenge every week. It’s so much fun!