[INTRO] [Haunting Appalachian instrumental | 4/4 | ♩=58 | E minor] [pp | spacious, ethereal, deeply emotional] [q=quarter | e=eighth | h=half | w=whole | ~=let ring] [Bars 1–4 — lone fingerpicked acoustic guitar] [GUITAR — let every note ring] | E3 q B3 e E4 e G4 q B3 q | | C3 q G3 e E4 e G4 h~ | | G3 q D4 e G4 e B4 q G4 q | | D3 h A3 h~ | [Bars 5–8 — ghostly clawhammer banjo enters] [GUITAR] | E3 q B3 e E4 e G4 q B4 q | | C3 q G3 e C4 e E4 h~ | | A3 q E4 e A4 e G4 q E4 q | | E3 h B3 h~ | [BANJO — delicate, distant] | E3 h B3 q E4 q | | C3 h G3 h | | A3 q E4 e A4 e G3 q D4 q| | E3 w~ | [Bars 9–12 — distant fiddle appears] [FIDDLE — high, breathy bow; almost no vibrato] | B4 h G4 q E4 q | | G4 q A4 q B4 h~ | | D5 h B4 q A4 q | | G4 h E4 h~ | [GUITAR] | Em(add9) | Cmaj7 | G | Dsus2 | [BANJO] Sparse E/B drone; answer only between fiddle phrases. [Bars 13–16 — instruments briefly intertwine] [FIDDLE] | E4 q G4 q B4 q D5 q | | C5 h B4 q G4 q | | A4 q B4 q G4 q E4 q | | G4 h F#4 q E4 q| [GUITAR — descending fingerpicked figure] | Em | Cmaj7 | Am7 | Bsus4 | [BANJO — soft rolling eighths] | E3e B3e E4e B3e G3e B3e E4e B3e | | C3e G3e C4e G3e E4e G3e C4e G3e | | A3e E4e A4e E4e G3e D4e G4e D4e | | B3h F#4h | [Bars 17–20 — opening clears for vocal] [FIDDLE] | B4 h A4 q G4 q | | E4 h D4 q E4 q | | G4 h F#4 q D4 q| | E4 w~ || [GUITAR] | Em(add9) | Cmaj7 | Dsus2 | Em(add9)~ || [BANJO] | E3h B3h | C3h G3h | D3h A3h | E3w~ || [Let final E decay into wind.] [Two beats near-silence.] [Verse — deep, weary Southern baritone] So many miles behind me... Don't know how many remain... But I swear I feel the ending... Callin' somewhere down the way... And I thought I'd be relieved... When I finally got this close... But the closer that I get... The more I'm scared to go... [Instrumental — ghostly clawhammer banjo enters, fiddle answers] [Chorus — restrained at first, gradually swelling] I'm gettin' close... I can feel it in my bones... And part of me is frightened... Part of me don't want it gone... 'Cause every trail has an ending... Every wanderer heads home... But I've come too damn far now... To slow... [All instruments abruptly fall away] [Long silence — only wind and faint footsteps] [lone mournful fiddle] [Low baritone — almost whispered] So I keep walkin'... [OUTRO] [FIDDLE + HARMONICA ONLY | ♩=58 | ppp] [Footsteps underneath; extremely spacious] [Bars 1–4 — fiddle calls] [FIDDLE] | B4 h G4 q E4 q | | D4 h E4 h~ | | G4 q A4 q B4 h~ | | A4 h G4 h | [HARMONICA — distant answers] | R h E4 h~ | | R h G4 h~ | | R h D4 h | | E4 w~ | [Bars 5–8 — instruments begin answering each other] [FIDDLE] | E4 q G4 q B4 h~ | | A4 h G4 q E4 q | | D4 q E4 q G4 h~ | | E4 w~ | [HARMONICA — breathy, aching] | R h G4 q E4 q | | D4 h E4 h~ | | B3 h D4 h | | R w | [Bars 9–12 — disappearing] [FIDDLE] | G4 h E4 h | | D4 q E4 q B3 h~ | | E4 h B3 h | | [E4+B4] w + fermata || [HARMONICA] | B3 h D4 h | | E4 h~ E4 h | | B3 w~ | | R w || [Do not resolve with a flourish.] [Fiddle's bare E+B fifth slowly disappears.] [Harmonica has already fallen silent.] [Only footsteps and wind remain.] [Footsteps continue alone for several seconds...] [...then gradually disappear into the distance.]
