[Verse 1] My grandmother spoke beside the kitchen flame Of a white-capped mountain with a secret name She said, “Take what is useful, leave the fear behind The oldest roads are carried in the mind” [Pre-Chorus] At the northern pass where the cold winds turn There are lessons in the stones and the roots that burn [Chorus] Mount Shasta, keep your counsel clear Telos underneath, we feel you near Citizens of patience, keepers of the well Teach us how to live where the quiet dwell If the ancestors have something left to say Let it make us kinder in the light of day [Verse 2] They told me of a city far below the snow With halls carved deep where the silver rivers flow Not a kingdom built for gold or pride But a listening place beneath the mountain side [Pre-Chorus] Every hidden doorway starts with what we mend Every ancient warning asks how we treat a friend [Chorus] Mount Shasta, keep your counsel clear Telos underneath, we feel you near Citizens of patience, keepers of the well Teach us how to live where the quiet dwell If the ancestors have something left to say Let it make us kinder in the light of day [Bridge] I cannot claim the tunnel, cannot swear the tale I only know the mountain makes the loudest stories pale So I carry wonder gently, and I check what I believe The truest secret may be what we give, not what we receive [Final Chorus] Mount Shasta, keep your counsel clear Telos underneath, we feel you near Citizens of patience, keepers of the well Teach us how to live where the quiet dwell If the ancestors have something left to say Let it make us kinder in the light of day [Outro] Snow above, stone below Old words carried where the cold winds blow I walk home with an open hand Learning what I can, and leaving what I can’t understand
