The kindest person I ever knew
was my grandmother Mary
She came from the Azores Islands
Off of the Portugal coast
And she and her husband worked on a little farm
In the valley so green
Called the San Joaquin
He was handsome and tall
and he played the guitar with ease
And she'd fallen in love when he sang in Portuguese

La, la, la, la, la, la, la, la
La, la, la, la, la, la
Ate amanha miu amor (until tomorrow my love)
He sang in Portuguese

My grandfather passed away
before he had time to grow old
The life of an immigrant farmer had taken a terrible toll
And Mary once told me she often would wake in the night
And she'd still hear him call
Through the dark down the hall
And she'd kneel by her bed and take out her rosary beads
And the tears would fall as she'd pray in Portuguese

La, la, la, la, la, la, la, la
La, la, la, la, la, la
Ate amanha miu amor (until tomorrow my love)
She'd pray in Portuguese

Oh Mary the church bells are ringing for Christmas
Mary do you hear an angel's sweet voice
Oh Mary I know you must leave when he calls
But I wish that somehow you could stay
'Cuz I loved you most of all

She lies so still now in her snowy white hospital bed
With the life that she loved so much
Still going on in her head
She's there in her kitchen and laughter is filling the room
Or her garden in spring with her roses in bloom
Now she smiles like she knows me
though I'm never sure who she sees
But her eyes still light up when I sing in Portuguese

La, la, la, la, la, la, la, la
La, la, la, la, la, la
Ate amanha miu amor (until tomorrow my love)
I sing in Portuguese
La, la, la, la, la, la, la, la
La, la, la, la, la, la, la, la
Her eyes light up when I sing in Portuguese