The Farther It Goes

[Verse 1] Black cloth in the burning sun White sand caught in every wheel I have ridden since the morning Toward a place that should be near There it is beyond the shimmer Straight ahead and slightly right So I lean into the pedals It will surely move in sight [Pre-Chorus] One more mile One more rise Same small mark Same empty sky [Chorus] The closer I get The farther it goes I watch it shrink I watch the road grow I push through the sand I pull out the wheel The distance is changing But nothing feels near The closer I get The farther it goes [Verse 2] Twice the front wheel disappears Twice I drag it from the sand Once I lose my left-hand pedal Then I find it where I stand By the afternoon I'm certain Something here is badly wrong I have kept the same direction I have travelled far too long [Pre-Chorus] One more mile One more rise Smaller now Before my eyes [Chorus] The closer I get The farther it goes I watch it shrink I watch the road grow I push through the sand I pull out the wheel The distance is changing But nothing feels near The closer I get The farther it goes [Instrumental Break] [Bridge] Enough. I stop the bicycle I turn it round No revelation No final test No noble reason I simply decide I'm going back. [Pause] So I ride. [Build] An hour passes Then another I look ahead There should be something there. [Low Voice] There isn't. [Final Chorus] The farther I ride The farther it gets The road I remember Is longer than this I push through the sand I pull out the wheel Now even the place Where I started won't stay still I turn my head Behind me The first place is farther [Long Pause] Wait. Why was I going there? [Longer Pause] I look ahead Home is farther too [Outro] I stop. Put one foot in the sand. Look both ways. [Long Pause] Fine. [Short Instrumental] I start riding again.