Open Road

Music & lyrics, 1977

Silence is painful
Silence is death
Silence breeds contempt
I hate myself for what I’ve done
It was once so clear

But now that all seems a long time ago
I stood where I should
The passage of time live the wound of a knife
My heart is bleeding
The blood runs clear

I awoke in the night
Felt I was on my own
I stumbled and fell
Felt my mind running blindly
Nowhere...

What do I do now my life seems so empty
Do I run throw myself to the sea?
Or try to live again
Knowing all is lost
Build a palace on a hill of shifting sand?

A storm, the rain, the clouds, the pain
Darkness, silence — awful silence
Who’s there at my door?
I can’t see
Who called?  I can’t see their faces

Where is my spring?
Without it I can see no summer
Where is the well?
Water cool, to cool my sorrow...

Oh...
Now it looks like I’ve finally hit the open road
I left you, God knows I didn’t want to go
I need you Mary, here to stand right by my side
I need you

Strange though it seems
From the lips of one who’s always wanted to be free
Free as a bird, free as my friends the open sea
I’ve changed, oh, the change I’ve seen inside of me
I know....

And now?  Oh...
Now it seems like I’ve lost my fight I’ve lost myself
I travel as a lonely silent silver ghost
A flower that needs the sun to give again
My love...

Now I live in a land of strangers
Why I came I really don’t know
To find myself?
To seek a cause?
It all seems so strange now I’m here

Thinking back, watching the sunrise
Lying in a field in the early morning
I wonder
I ask myself
Didn’t you find what you wanted there?

Here in my mind
A war is raging
I need to turn ‘round
Set my sails for the journey home

I left a friend at the gates of Hell
I wandered alone inside
Feeling the flames
Of the burning fire
Watching Satan, Satan watching me

My journey is ended soon
I come to the gates
Feel the freshness
Of the earth
See the flowers, feel the sun

And now my friend
The land of golden sunshine?
Now my friend
Take my hand we’ll cross the mountains!

Oh...
Now it looks like I’ve finally hit the open road
I left you, God knows I didn’t want to go
I need you Mary, here to stand right by my side
I need you

Strange though it seems
From the lips of one who’s always wanted to be free
Free as a bird, free as my friends the open sea
I’ve changed, oh, the change I’ve seen inside of me
I know....

And now?  Oh...
Now it seems like I’ve lost my fight I’ve lost myself
I travel as a lonely silent silver ghost
A flower that needs the sun to give again
My love...

© Kirtland C. Peterson, 1977