G Em
Huddie sang about that old boll weevil Am D
And how that bug was looking for a home G Em G Em
Every time I hear that song Seems he got it wrong Am D G
I know that old bug just liked to roam
Even Stephen Foster’s great plantation
And old folks at home were far away
How ever many times We all sing Stephen’s rhymes
He’s wandering creation to this day
C D G Me and Stephen Foster and boll weevil
We’re travelers not looking for a home
Roads rambled, rivers crossed Some wanderers ain’t lost
We’re forty years from the milk and the honeycomb
Life ain’t some great eternal baseball game
There’s more for you and me than rounding third
Every child knows the poem There’s no place like home
Don’t you believe everything you’ve heard
chorus
Best beloved’s sitting by the fire
Simm’ring supper smell fills the air
But when Foster and the bug Look up from the rug
You’d best believe they’ll take you off somewhere
chorus, then
We’re forty years from the milk and the honeycomb
sun glowing gold on the tree in the yard in the
morning when I first wake up
the toast and the tea and the butter and jam
as I have a slice and a cup
over the meadow a hawk soars and glides
the sun on his wings as he drifts
splashes of blue in among all the clouds
I watch and I ask myself what will I do with these gifts?
Birds sing the reddening sun to bed
Warbling for all that they’re worth
Then it’s grey in the morning with no hint of blue
Raindrops splatter the earth
But the storm blows away leaving the rainbow
That’s there every time that it lifts
Every color that I’ve ever seen
Within, and I ask myself what will I do with these gifts?
You’re here with me and I look in your eyes
And see them reflecting love
The sun and the storm and the colors and birds
And life are all gifts from above
The more I reflect on the things I’ve been given
The more my attitude shifts
Every day every night every moment
It’s right that I ask myself what will I do with these gifts?
intro one instrumental verse
0022 0033 0055 0033
count our days search for wisdom put it in our hearts
sail our ship from star to star following the charts F C G as long as we can call it today
as long as we can call it today
count our days search for truth filling up our mind
sail our ship from star to star treasure what we find chorus
D C
find that precious pearl
treasure in a field
count our days to wisdom E
patient till the time comes to be healed
instrumental verse
count our days search for wisdom share it as we go
sail our ship from star to star carry seeds to sow
count our days search for truth filling up our mind
sail our ship from star to star treasure what we find
count our days search for wi
sail our ship from star to star following the charts chorus x2
We’ve traveled a lot, and Fiona loves waking up before it’s light, piling in the back seat, and watching the stars as she falls back to sleep. These are her memories of all the trips we’ve taken, all the places we’ve been, and the things she loves about traveling.
She is still very shy about singing so she recorded this sometime in the wee hours of the morning. I played with some reverb, ducked my vocal behind hers, and love love love the staggered fade ending with just her dreamy little voice echoing at the end.
I love that I have two daughters with amazing voices. (Now if I can only get their mother to sing more, since she’s where they got their voices.)
a million stars are shining imaginary dawn
dark and light together before the stars move on
head against the pillow pillow on the door
snuggle in the back seat fall asleep once more
we love to go, away we went on a drive to the next surprise
destination irrelevant follow stars to a grey sunrise
gas station’s quiet fill up the car
get juice and sandwiches before we get too far
but still we’re on the way before the sky is light
imaginary dawn spilling from the night
chorus
who are all these people up before it’s day?
where are they all going slipping through the grey?
do they love to travel always movin
we won’t ever tire of it imaginary dawn
chorus
welcome rest stop barn exhibits and a snack
always something new to see whenever we come back
birds and bugs and meadows historic marker plaques
run across the grass read the nature facts
chorus
Tea HQ and Tucson Best waffle you ever ate
Yellowstone and forests nearly every state
will you travel all your life alone or with a friend?
the imaginary dawn is a journey with no end
Dark clouds always symbolize something bad. All my travels, all the places I’ve lived, clouds are a good thing, dark or otherwise.
Came across a picture I took on travels with Best Beloved of a sky-wide black cloud over Tucumcari. Flood of memories, good ones.
tenor notes below capo 3 intro E E D G G E
coming into Tucumcari out of the north
lightning crackled air
Quality Inn at the end of town, seventeen minutes I’m there
big dark cloud big dark cloud
map shows a road crossing the lake, East Saxon Avenue
lake’s been dry as long as I’ve seen, dust is greyish blue
big dark cloud big dark cloud
big dark cloud let it down, fill that lake soak the ground
rinse me off so I don’t drown, big dark cloud
this isn’t a place anyone goes, all just passing through
no one’s ever gonna cross that lake on East Saxon Avenue
big dark cloud big dark cloud chorus
just play E
I met a girl and she was made of clouds
but there was nothing light and fluffy about this one
she was dark, she was strong
and when she sang you couldn’t hear the sun
big dark cloud big dark cloud
eleven hours from Dalhart Texas, nine more gets me to you
turn right around and cross that lake on East Saxon Avenue
big dark cloud big dark cloud chorus x2
big dark cloud x3
bass notes
fingered bass T-C P-F 2nd octave
intro G G F F Bb Bb G G G Bb F G
coming into Tucumcari out of the north lightning crackled air G Bb F G
Quality Inn at the end of town seventeen minutes I’m there G G F F G G
big dark cloud big dark cloud
map shows a road crossing the lake East Saxon Avenue
lake’s been dry as long as I’ve seen dust is greyish blue
big dark cloud big dark cloud
G G F F G
big dark cloud let it down G F F G
fill that lake and soak the ground G F F C
rinse me off so I don’t drown C G G G
big dark cloud
F F G G
isn’t a place anyone goes all just passing through
no one’s ever gonna cross that lake on East Saxon Avenue
big dark cloud big dark cloud
chorus
G G F G
met a girl G G F G
and she was made of clouds G G G G F G
but there was nothing light and fluffy about this one G G F G
she was dark G G F G
she was strong G G F G
and when she sang G x8
you couldn’t hear the sun G G F F G G
big dark cloud big dark cloud
eleven hours from Dalhart Texas nine more gets me to you
turn right around and cross that lake on East Saxon Avenue
big dark cloud big dark cloud
G G F F G
big dark cloud let it down G F F G
fill that lake and soak the ground G F F C
rinse me off so I don’t drown C G G G
big dark cloud repeat chorus
F F G G
big dark cloud F F G G
big dark cloud Bb Bb G G vamp G
big dark cloud
E E D G G E capo 3 G G F Bb Bb G
C 2 0 2
G 0 2 3
D 0 3 3
A 2 3 3
We’ve traveled a lot, and Fiona loves waking up before it’s light, piling in the back seat, and watching the stars as she falls back to sleep. These are her memories of all the trips we’ve taken, all the places we’ve been, and the things she loves about traveling.