A Grandfather Clock - The Perkins House

The Perkins House in Colfax, WA has a large number of historical items. Including an early 19th Century Grandfather clock made of burl cherrywood. It is a beautiful and functioning time piece.

Grandfather clocks used to be known as long case clocks. That changed in 1876 when songwriter Henry C. Work published "My Grandfather's Clock". Told from a family member's perspective, this is the story of his grandfather's longcase clock that faithfully kept time all the days of the grandfather's life. But stopped, never to run again, when the old man died. The song was a major hit. And since then, long case clocks have been Grandfather clocks.

Grandfather clocks are generally 8 feet tall. So if the clock was taller by half than Grandfather, Gramps was five feet two inches or so. And they weigh 200 pounds. Gramps, it would appear, was a mite chubby.




Full lyrics


My grandfather's clock was too large for the shelf,
So it stood ninety years on the floor;
It was taller by half than the old man himself,
Though it weighed not a pennyweight more.
It was bought on the morn of the day that he was born,
And was always his treasure and pride;
But it stopp'd short — never to go again —
When the old man died.

Ninety years without slumbering
(tick, tock, tick, tock),
His life seconds numbering,
(tick, tock, tick, tock),
It stopp'd short — never to go again —
When the old man died.
In watching its pendulum swing to and fro,
Many hours had he spent while a boy.
And in childhood and manhood the clock seemed to know
And to share both his grief and his joy.
For it struck twenty-four when he entered at the door,
With a blooming and beautiful bride;
But it stopp'd short — never to go again —
When the old man died.

Ninety years without slumbering
(tick, tock, tick, tock),
His life seconds numbering,
(tick, tock, tick, tock),
It stopp'd short — never to go again —
When the old man died.
My grandfather said that of those he could hire,
Not a servant so faithful he found;
For it wasted no time, and had but one desire —
At the close of each week to be wound.
And it kept in its place — not a frown upon its face,
And its hands never hung by its side.
But it stopp'd short — never to go again —
When the old man died.

Ninety years without slumbering
(tick, tock, tick, tock),
His life seconds numbering,
(tick, tock, tick, tock),
It stopp'd short — never to go again —
When the old man died.
It rang an alarm in the dead of the night —
An alarm that for years had been dumb;
And we knew that his spirit was pluming for flight —
That his hour of departure had come.
Still the clock kept the time, with a soft and muffled chime,
As we silently stood by his side;
But it stopp'd short — never to go again —
When the old man died.

Ninety years without slumbering
(tick, tock, tick, tock),
His life seconds numbering,
(tick, tock, tick, tock),
It stopp'd short — never to go again —
When the old man died.