The Great Western Road

A man sticks his fingers inside of his mouth The words are stuck in there He fishes them out Whispers and mumbles, statements and verse, curses and love songs For nobody else Man takes a pencil and puts down his thoughts The old human highway from Eden to Nod Brothers and sisters, husbands and wives, strangers and cripples In love with their lives How they dance In a trance Where the river bends Here we go Don't you know That it never ends Some who ride Some who slide Everyone you know Travels on That great western road How they laugh Raise a glass Take a bottle down Any face any place In this northern town Dragging on Send them home, Glasgow and Rome Travel on That great western road Man goes to show world And dreams of the stars He leans to the left He leans to the north He learns to be humble He learns from the trees And all of God's creatures To him they would speak Saying wake up my little lambs Wake up it's time to begin Wake up it's all that you are Wake up and it's not very far Beggar-man soldier-man beggar-man and thief Some are young Some are old And some on their knees Broken legs broken nose Swaying to and fro As they walk The great western road Every snake Every bird Every creeping thing Like a knife In the night I see her again Blessed heart Blessed word Blessed skin and bones All along That great western road