iThe Mountains Waited, #111

[Intro] [melodic cello lead, strummed acoustic guitar] (la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la) [Verse 1] [breathy male vocals] He had a map of anywhere Two boots, one thing, and long brown hair Said the world was crooked, turned him out blind And the road up north was the saving kind He muttered something sharp like a closing door Kicked at the gravel [kick drum enters] for nothing more [Chorus] [strings swell, vocal harmonies enter] We shared a bench by the riverside My ginger curls loose, not trying to hide Didn't say much till the sandwich tore Then his laugh rose up with the anchor bin before Leaves were turning, the wind just sighed And the mountains waited [falsetto] on the other side On the other side [Bridge] [full orchestral strings, driving acoustic guitar] And the mountains waited, still and tall For a runaway ready to lose it all No preacher's warning, no judge debated Just one quiet day [vocal harmonies swell] And the mountains waited [Verse 2] [cello returns, acoustic guitar continues] He spoke a voice as sharp as rust Calling him lazy, calling him dust Tell the good keep score when the work is thin That's a game no misfit ever wins No sermon's fire, no truth belated Just tears he swore his pride negated Took his hand in mine, touched it to my lips Cliff, I said softly, let the noise unwind The road's still yours, just you take your time [Chorus] Take your time No ground to claim, no blame to trade Just two misfits in the shade The world spun on, uncalibrated And somewhere up the hills The mountains waited [Outro] [vocal harmonies, sustained string pads] And the mountains waited as they are Patient and kind for a dreamer changing his troubled mind No victory march, no war was fought Just a life still mending, the world still fraught Love drew circles where the borders faded And the mountains waited And the mountains waited (Just waiting, just waiting, just waiting, just waiting, just waiting)