(Verse 1) A little bird cracked through the shell In a nest so warm and high But the wind was whisperin’ through the trees And his mother had gone to fly So he tumbled down from the crooked branch To the earth so wide below With a trembling heart and tiny wings Not knowin’ where to go (Chorus) Are you my mother, kind old cow? Are you my mother now? The river rolls and the tall grass bends But nobody tells me how Oh the clouds drift by in the morning sun And the long road pulls me onward Are you my mother, soft and true? Won’t somebody lead me home? (Verse 2) He asked the cat beside the fence With whiskers silver-gray He asked the hen in the dusty yard Who simply walked away He asked a dog by a wheelbarrow He asked a boat downstream Every face beneath the sky Felt like a half-known dream (Chorus) Are you my mother, gentle breeze? Are you my mother, tree? The world is big for a bird so small And lonely as can be Oh the clouds drift by in the afternoon And the shadows all grow longer Are you my mother, soft and true? Won’t somebody lead me home? (Verse 3) Then came a rumble, smoke and steel A great machine so high Its iron breath and thunder voice Nearly made him cry “Oh, are you my mother?” the baby called To the mighty Snort machine But the machine just roared across the dirt Like some strange waking dream Then high above came flapping wings Across the golden light His mother swooped beside the nest As day turned into night She gathered him beneath her wing So warm and safe once more And the stars lit up the quiet sky Like lanterns on the shore (Final Chorus) You are my mother, warm and near You are my mother dear The wandering road has brought me home And now there’s nothing to fear Oh the night wind sings through the willow trees And the moon is shining over You are my mother, soft and true And I am finally home
