How Can You Know

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As they ran me out of Illinois, I headed for the west

Hoping I could find a place where the sun would lay to rest

Along the way so many things would make me lose my breath

But I pressed on to find a better way

Oh how can you know

I wanna go where the wind’s gonna blow

We stopped along this roadside joint and I was at my best

I ordered me a plate fries but it didn’t past the test

The waitress there she smiled at me and I could have stayed there my whole life

But I was gone before the mountain night

Looking through the needle’s eye when someone robbed us blind

I wondered how another man could do things so unkind

An experience like that in life might make you sing the blues

But I was happy I had nothing left to lose

All my life been waiting for a change

The wind’s gonna blow my blues away

And I’m gonna sit on the dock of the bay

Just waiting for a change

We sat back down to have a drink as the wind picked up some dust

Could have made my home right there but my heart craved wanderlust

In the gypsy’s way we packed our things and made that place my dream

And I was gone as quick as I came in

Flowing with the Russian River and headed for the coast

With beauty such as this in life I really had to boast

It seems to me there’s proof right here that God exists on Earth

Tomorrow we’ll be in my place of birth

Falling out of Covelo and I thought I’d left for dead

The only thing I ask of you is a pillow for my head

Time’s running short or running long and I gotta get some rest

For I’ll be gone before the morning air

Swimming with the ocean tide with dolphins by my side

I felt something stinging me but it was just my foolish pride

And never had I seen the sea ‘til I saw it through your eyes

I’ll meet you on the beach of butterflies

Cutting back through Reno and the desert sun was hot

Searching only for true freedom but I asked myself a lot

How can it be the more I want the less I seem to gain

The less I have the more I understand

Broken down and busted flat with nothing else to prove

Ten miles just outside North Platte and we got those railroad blues

The rodeo might keep us here but luck will have it all

And we’ll push on at least ‘til Omaha

Staring at those glacier peaks it made me feel small

I realized what I thought was big was really nothing at all

With arms stretched out I hugged the Earth and gently kissed the sky

Knowing I would see it by and by

Written by E. Fink