Heed The Call

Wagon Shed Wally singing and heeding the call
Wagon Shed Wally. Photo by Art Wachter

Being around and involved in music for pretty much my entire life, seems natural that for many years a lot of my writing took on the form of song lyrics. Still does. Always found it to be a most rewarding experience to release my thoughts as songs. I do like to listen to the spirit, heed the call and find the muse. Without the ability to play the guitar, however, I have had to rely on my many musical collaborators to help me find the right melody.

Many of my lyrics have been set to music through the years, many more have not. Freedom Alley was certainly a repository and well to draw from. When I played music with my brother at the old Grist Mill, Broom’s Bloom and other places, Dave worked up melodies for a few of my songs and they made it into the repertoire.

Often, the inspiration for new lyrics came from a new artist or song I heard. Plagiarism was too easy, but I did steal the melodies to sort of help push the words through. While writing the verses and finalizing the song, I would always take care to change things up and deviate from the tune. In this way, the song would become my own and somewhere down the line a melody to fit the words would be found.

One such set of lyrics that has remained married to the melody came from the artist Dave Rawlings, who wrote an excellent little number titled, I Hear Them All. Mr. Rawling’s tune blew me away. His lyrics to the song are rather remarkable in their own right; however, the lyrics set forth below are my own and reading them recently, I’ve decided they can stand on their own without the assistance of Dave Rawling’s melody.

There will come a time, perhaps, that these lyrics, too, will find a home in some tunesmith’s workshop. Until then, listen, heed the call and may these words find a home in your heart.  

Heed the Call

Well I’ve walked with tender mercies
I’ve seen men with loaded purses
Raised my hand in total silence
Held my tongue in full compliance
Watched while fools lean and bend and fall

I’ve known hearts torn asunder
Strong men weakened to their blunders
So called friends who cry for pardon
Broken souls turned cold and hardened
Darkness steals the light then slowly takes it all

There’s a path that tells my journey
And I know I’ll keep on learning
I must try to help the others before I go
Here and now I’ll tell my story
Of the road to peace and glory
Let the light that shines inside me strongly glow

I’ve had chances go the wrong way
Missed the mark until the next day
Given up on hopes and dreams
Fallen prey to wicked schemes
Taking chances but always giving all

I will walk with words of thunder
Just to keep the evil under
Peaceful heart is still inside
And I know I will survive
When I stand and answer faithful to the call

There’s a path that tells my journey
And I know I’ll keep on learning
I must try to help the others before I go
Here and now I’ll tell my story
Of the road to peace and glory
Let the light that shines inside me strongly glow


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