We’ve all been down ‘This Road’ before
This song has been stuck in my head since the town hall meeting hosted by the Rappahannock News last week. I thought it might give some perspective about what seems to have drawn all of us, on all sides of the debate, to the county.
I’d almost moved to Rappahannock County in the early ’70s but went to West Virginia instead. Somewhere, deep in memory, was this willow tree overhanging a river. I couldn’t remember where that came from until we moved here in 1985 and I saw the tree again where U.S. 211 and Gid Brown Hollow meet. When they four-laned U.S. 211, cut down the tree and straightened out the entrance to Gid Brown, my friend John McCutcheon and I wrote this song called “This Road.” I recorded it with my band Trapezoid.
For all of our Rappahannock friends, there’s a free download at http://bit.ly/thisroad.
“THIS ROAD”
© 1993 P. Reisler/Zoidsongs (ASCAP) and John McCutcheon/Appalsongs (ASCAP) The road stirs in the distance I stop and strain to view across the bridge around the bend another passing through he trails the road behind him never waves or slows A headlong flight to somewhere else he hurries down the road Who is this passing stranger Who travels all alone Along some road to nowhere So far away from home I watch him at the crossing I watch him fade to dust he travels when he wants to I travel when I must Chorus: This road was young when my granddad first plowed this tired land this road saw neighbors come and go and come and go again across the river, through the gap back and forth they flowed out of mem'ry, out of sight and out of this old road I remember all the young men Their call came loud and clear: Get a job, get a car Get the hell away from here And, one by one, they all were blown Like dust upon the wind Till what was left were those who found the road back home again (Chorus) I guess the day will finally come when this road's just like the rest No wild thread, but straight and wide where cars pass two abreast there'll be no place for folks like me no place for sweet and slow down the highway fast and fierce a long time down this road (Chorus) for the sweetest days are the days I've known standing here by the side of the road watching others come and go at home on this old road
PAUL REISLER
Washington