Hold Fast to the Grass, Child;
The Earth Always Spins

By EleCivil

Home * EleCivil * Back

  1. With three days gained and a new pair of shoes
  2. Started moving for a reason to find a reason to move
  3. To find a place, a thing, a person, job, jail, self-respect
  4. With a map of sympathetic squats and songs to speed the steps
  5. Thought I'd leave no trail to follow, let no one find my clues
  6. As I crossed the country whistling songs
  7. and writing ramblin' blues
  8.  
  9. Met a man stopped on I-seven-five, his tires had run flat
  10. Said his name was not important and nor was mine, at that
  11. Said “It's plain dangerous to just be walking around,
  12. We need aluminum armor, we need tires on the ground,
  13. We need cylinders, brakes and fossil fuels.”
  14. A man stopped on I-seven-five
  15. taught me the ramblin' blues
  16.  
  17. Went to sleep when it turned dark, lay hidden in the dirt
  18. Woke up before the sun arose, a spider on my shirt.
  19. I said “Excuse me, sir, could you move your legs?”
  20. He said “I stayed too long here, anyway.
  21. But thanks for not just slapping me off, like most people do to you
  22. When you're an arachnid on the road,
  23. spinning out the ramblin' blues.”
  24.  
  25. Found a freight train headed out so I shrugged and climbed inside
  26. Found out I wasn't first young man to try to hitch this ride
  27. Found a dozen more all sitting around talking
  28. Making plans, taking breaks from walking
  29. One held a switchblade, one a gun, so I guess I had to choose
  30. Do I try to fight, try to run,
  31. or do I tell ‘em my ramblin' blues?
  32.  
  33. As things turned out, they were ramblin', too
  34. And always glad to add another man to their crew
  35. They were cruisin' around, singing “We Shall Not Be Moved”
  36. Because when it came to protest, it was a simple tune
  37. And the suits with the guns didn't seem to mind, and they seemed to tip well, too
  38. Dropping quarters into hats and shaking their heads
  39. at their rendition of the ramblin' blues.
  40.  
  41. Took my leave to head on out, feet kicking on the road again
  42. When I met a serpent on the sidewalk with a lisp a shifty grin
  43. He said, “Don't tense up, kid, I'm not looking to fight.”
  44. And as I lowered my guard, he took a bite
  45. So as he crept away I felt a sting creeping from my shoes
  46. The venom burning in my legs
  47. to end my ramblin' blues.
  48.  
  49. Well, I was numb from the hips on down,
  50. It was looking like I wouldn't get back to town
  51. So I stepped out to the road and raised my thumb up to the sky.
  52. And who should stop but the man I'd met stranded on I-seven-five.
  53. He said “What'd I tell you, son, you're a fool.
  54. Now hop in back and close your eyes
  55. try to dream up some ramblin' blues.”
  56.  
  57. The Nurse said that logically I should've been dead
  58. That I was lucky that the venom didn't reach my head
  59. And asked me where I wanted to go.
  60. I shook my head and raised my hands, in a gesture said “I don't know.”
  61. “How about some place,” She said, “where the snakes can't get to you?”
  62. And that sounded nice, to get back home
  63. and close my ramblin' blues.
  64.  
  65. When I got home and told the family about
  66. All the people I'd met, all the things I'd found out,
  67. Grandma looked around and said “What'd I say?
  68. I knew the kid'd find out on his own some day,
  69. That the Earth spins, child, and the soil is loose
  70. So hold fast to the grass with both of your hands
  71. or you'll feel those ramblin' blues.”