One to Seventeen Lyrics

2023 West End
The Little Big Things the Musical - One to Seventeen Lyrics

The song is written by Nick Butcher and Tom Ling.

(spoken)
Excuse me, hello?
Hello, excuse me?
We're looking for our son,
Henry, Henry Fraser
You are Henry's parents?
Yes, where is he?
Henry had an accident in the sea
It is a life changing injury,
We are uncertain if he will ever walk again

FRAN FRASER:
I screamed so loud it echos down the halls
It bursts through doors,
It shatters through the walls
That's my son, that's my son, that's my son
And this woman I just met
This stranger I don't know
Moves her lips, but I can't hear her voice
I feel so alone, in this room so alone
That's my son, that's my son, that's my son

1, the first time I hold you
Your beautiful eyes, warm skin,
Small grin, innocent cries
We name you Henry,
Our third son born February
I promise my heart and the rest of my life to you
Smiling everyday by your brothers side, you play
One step, two step, then suddenly you're away
And I have three sons,
Then by suprise there comes another
So patient,
So kind you make the perfect older brother
And all these pictures fall back into place
Moments form memories that time can't erase
And I'm counting one to seventeen
And all the years that fall between
I'm looking back through the memories

Four boys, hardcore
3, 5, 7, 9, no more
Each one breaking rules,
So we ship you off to school
And at weekends, our team of 6,
Touring on the family bus
Till seven o'clock on Sunday,
Round the table, only us
As your brothers all grow louder,
You fall quiet instead
Building LEGO towers alone,
Till Andrew carries you to bed

I'm counting 5, 6, 7, 8 times a night you awake
To say, mum stay,
Chase the monsters away, mum stay
9, the big change,
Watch you rearrange from child to man
Your brothers start to fight,
It's like you're growing over night
But at the tender age you still cling near
11 and I start to fear,
No inhabitions disappear
But for you I know the crowd will cheer
At 12, you play for the local team
13, you go for the county league
For the team you score, you hit your peak
And at 14 we barely speak
And I'm counting 9 to 15 hours a week,
Screaming from the sidelines
Come on Henry, Henry, Henry, yes Henry, yes Henry

And on your 16th birthday,
As you blow out the candles
My little boy starts to glow,
Next thing I know you say
Mum, I think I'm ready,
To move away for sixth form
And I feel a little bit of you let go
But I say go, I say go
I say I never thought you'd never bloodly leave

I'm counting one to seventeen
I'm grasping on to each memory
I'm counting one to seventeen
These pictures light up my mind
It's like I'm living each moment
Again, and again, and again

(spoken)
Mrs Fraser, Mrs Fraser,
Your son needs you now, more than ever
That's my son, that's my son, that's my son
You can see him now
Whatever this is,
We're going to get through it, together
This is very difficult
We're getting him home,
We're getting him home