I remember hearing it on the radio.
There were only three stations then
Mom didn't listen to rap or country
So we listened to classic oldies.
It was just me in the backseat
Too small to be without a carseat.
It had an airy beat
And the melody was sweet.
Four-year-old me thought the song was for me
I lived in a desert where the heat was hot and the ground was dry,
I too had met the fly with a buzz.
So this song became my theme
While I'd dream of rain
Wistfully waiting for a cloud to cover me.
I hate the heat but it rarely burns me
The desert is a quiet place
Filled with vultures and ravens circling
If you listen you'll hear the valleys sing
And you'll appreciate a spot of green.
Your reflection is the only face you'll see
If your lucky you'll forget your name,
The empty sky will give you no pain.
I smile like a kid in the backseat when I hear the story of the river that flowed,
Listening to the story it told.
Now I tell those stories too
It may be odd this song does this to me
But nothing else quite makes feels this much at ease.
The desert isn't where I want to be
But I appreciate the ground when it speaks,
And the vast ocean that once was sea.
I've done the journey,
And my horse has no name.