GRANDMA'S KITCHEN
DIALOGUE
Grandpa died a few years before grandma and, to be honest, she just never got over that, never knew what to do without him in her life.
Of course we all still used to visit grandma, usually on a Sunday afternoon. Grandma still insisted on cooking everything, she would take no help from anyone. We still all sat round that family table, and there was always an empty chair placed around it for grandpa. Grandma always said that as long as she was alive then there would still be a chair at her table for him.
(PAUSE) and a change of vocal tone as we move to sadder memories
Of course time passed, and the inevitable happened and grandma died too.
I still remember that time so clearly. I had just celebrated my 16th birthday the week before. When I walked into grandma’s house with my parents, everything just immediately felt so different, so quiet, so sad. For the first time in my life, there was no smell of anything cooking coming from the kitchen, and that old table just looked so empty now without her there.
My parents had been in over the past few days, just starting to sort out the house, tidy things up, clear things out as you always have to do, but the one thing I remember more than anything else is standing in grandma’s now empty kitchen, The kitchen cupboard doors were all open and all of the cupboards were now empty.
SONG
Empty kitchen cupboards
In an empty kitchen space
That used to be so full of life
All those memories of my grandma
She used to so much love that kitchen
Almost as much as she loved grandpa
Now there’s just open empty cupboards
And this big empty space in my heart
That I know I’ll never be able to fill again
No matter how long I have to live
As I watch the ghost of the little girl who used to be me
Still standing with her in this room.
Empty kitchen cupboards
In an empty kitchen space
But I can still smell grandma’s cooking
All those freshly baked scones and cakes
For a moment I think I hear her voice
Ask for more as she walks through that kitchen door.
FIRST VERSE REPEATS AT END
Empty kitchen cupboards
In an empty kitchen space
That used to be so full of life
All those memories of my grandma
She used to so much love that kitchen
Almost as much as she loved grandpa
ONE LINE DIALOGUE AT END
I still love you grandma
Grandpa died a few years before grandma and, to be honest, she just never got over that, never knew what to do without him in her life.
Of course we all still used to visit grandma, usually on a Sunday afternoon. Grandma still insisted on cooking everything, she would take no help from anyone. We still all sat round that family table, and there was always an empty chair placed around it for grandpa. Grandma always said that as long as she was alive then there would still be a chair at her table for him.
(PAUSE) and a change of vocal tone as we move to sadder memories
Of course time passed, and the inevitable happened and grandma died too.
I still remember that time so clearly. I had just celebrated my 16th birthday the week before. When I walked into grandma’s house with my parents, everything just immediately felt so different, so quiet, so sad. For the first time in my life, there was no smell of anything cooking coming from the kitchen, and that old table just looked so empty now without her there.
My parents had been in over the past few days, just starting to sort out the house, tidy things up, clear things out as you always have to do, but the one thing I remember more than anything else is standing in grandma’s now empty kitchen, The kitchen cupboard doors were all open and all of the cupboards were now empty.
SONG
Empty kitchen cupboards
In an empty kitchen space
That used to be so full of life
All those memories of my grandma
She used to so much love that kitchen
Almost as much as she loved grandpa
Now there’s just open empty cupboards
And this big empty space in my heart
That I know I’ll never be able to fill again
No matter how long I have to live
As I watch the ghost of the little girl who used to be me
Still standing with her in this room.
Empty kitchen cupboards
In an empty kitchen space
But I can still smell grandma’s cooking
All those freshly baked scones and cakes
For a moment I think I hear her voice
Ask for more as she walks through that kitchen door.
FIRST VERSE REPEATS AT END
Empty kitchen cupboards
In an empty kitchen space
That used to be so full of life
All those memories of my grandma
She used to so much love that kitchen
Almost as much as she loved grandpa
ONE LINE DIALOGUE AT END
I still love you grandma
NOTE 1 – These words are from a 12 song cycle for a performance work called "Recipe For Love" The story is about that connection that we have between sharing food with the people closest to us, the memories that food can bring back to us, and of course our main girl/boy relationship story.
NOTE 2
This comes right after “Grandma’s Kitchen”. The two really are co-joined songs with a mirror of emotions from happy memories to really sad ones. This song has to come before our lady goes to that meal with her new man because when the cupboards in his kitchen are pretty empty, this triggers sad memories again of her grandmother.
NOTE 2
This comes right after “Grandma’s Kitchen”. The two really are co-joined songs with a mirror of emotions from happy memories to really sad ones. This song has to come before our lady goes to that meal with her new man because when the cupboards in his kitchen are pretty empty, this triggers sad memories again of her grandmother.
"Empty Kitchen Cupboards" Copyright © Tom King 2022