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Traveler Suite Lyrics
[PART I - INTRO]
[Instrumental]
[PART II - SETTING SUN]
She is all I ever wanted
She could make me lie
I don't think she's dead or anything, but I still feel haunted
Something in the way she said goodbye
This time
Not like before
It could be me but it seemed like I needn't return
That's right Little Johnny gets to go and fight his war
And as he rides off in the sunset he feels the last rays burn
And shine
My setting sun
No we ain't done
My setting sun
No we ain't done
The only one
Who makes me run
The setting sun
No we ain't done
What the hell'd she mean
When she turned away and said don't you ever forget me
And why the sad routine
The tear in her eye, and my glib reply when I said "You'd never let me"
Oh no not she
I found a letter
I found it in a pocket that she must have slipped it in
It basically told me to forget her
Now I ain't no genius, but I think I could begin
To see
My setting sun
No we ain't done
My setting sun
No we ain't done
The only one
Who makes me run
The setting sun
No we ain't done
With the sun obscured from view
And none but the night left to keep me warm
It's me my darling with nothing left to do
But surrender to the coming storm
And I am born
[PART III - COLOR ME GONE]
With nothing to lose, and freedom to gain
I rode west at nightfall through freezing rain
Relying on luck, and the wit of my brain
Visions of plunder and endless campaign
Numb the pain
There is comfort in the saddle and the earth is good and soft
Build a sail to catch the wind set my chariot aloft
I'm rounding on the parapet and another city burns
Harvest all creation for its ominous returns
And then well before dawn you can color me gone
Moving on to the next after killing my prey
Growing steadily easier each one I'd slay
By blood and by battle, making my way
Unto the breach and into the fray
When I play
There is comfort in the saddle and the earth is good and soft
Build a sail to catch the wind set my chariot aloft
I'm rounding on the parapet and another city burns
Harvest all creation for its ominous returns
And then well before dawn you can color me gone
Come hell come high water come into me
Storm bring your flood waters turn desert to sea
Destroy all my obstacles whatever they be
Extinguish all light and fell every tree
Set me free!
[PART IV - LOW BRANCH]
A low branch touching the water
Feels the currents' take
A mighty river bends her
But oh, oh, oh
She won't break
Ain't gonna break anytime soon
A candle's flame she dances
When sudden a tempest blows
She dwindles and dims against the cold, cold winds
And oh, oh, oh
Then she grows
Somehow I gotta come and see
Someway it's familiar to me
Gently she'll try and try and try
It amazes me and I gotta find out why
[PART V - PANCHO]
[Instrumental]
[PART VI - LOW BRANCH (REPRISE)]
Somehow I gotta come and see
Some way she's familiar to me
Gently she'll try and try and try
It amazes me and I gotta find out why
I may never understand her
Her secret is not to know
Nothing for me to do with or for or to
But oh, oh, oh
I just love to watch her go
[PART VII - COLOR ME GONE (REPRISE)]
I am the river that bends the branch
I am the tempest that dwindles the flame
No one can stand the avalanche
The beast can be bargained but he can't be tamed
The die casts long ago the Rubicon crossed
No one can hold me or alter my fate
Balance and equilibrium lost
Tribe on the move the momentum won't wait
It's too late...
There is comfort in the saddle and the earth is good and soft
Build a sail to catch the wind set my chariot aloft
I am rounding on the parapet and another city burns
Harvest all creation for its ominous returns
And then well before dawn you can collar me gone
[PART VIII - SETTING SUN (REPRISE)]
She was all I ever wanted
Maybe now I'm wanting something more
So we start away in the new day undaunted
Maybe that is what the morning's for
But you can't be sure
She could make me lie
I don't think she's dead or anything, but I still feel haunted
Something in the way she said goodbye
This time
Not like before
It could be me but it seemed like I needn't return
That's right Little Johnny gets to go and fight his war
And as he rides off in the sunset he feels the last rays burn
And shine
No we ain't done
My setting sun
No we ain't done
The only one
Who makes me run
The setting sun
No we ain't done
When she turned away and said don't you ever forget me
And why the sad routine
The tear in her eye, and my glib reply when I said "You'd never let me"
Oh no not she
I found it in a pocket that she must have slipped it in
It basically told me to forget her
Now I ain't no genius, but I think I could begin
To see
No we ain't done
My setting sun
No we ain't done
The only one
Who makes me run
The setting sun
No we ain't done
And none but the night left to keep me warm
It's me my darling with nothing left to do
But surrender to the coming storm
And I am born
I rode west at nightfall through freezing rain
Relying on luck, and the wit of my brain
Visions of plunder and endless campaign
Numb the pain
Build a sail to catch the wind set my chariot aloft
I'm rounding on the parapet and another city burns
Harvest all creation for its ominous returns
And then well before dawn you can color me gone
Growing steadily easier each one I'd slay
By blood and by battle, making my way
Unto the breach and into the fray
When I play
Build a sail to catch the wind set my chariot aloft
I'm rounding on the parapet and another city burns
Harvest all creation for its ominous returns
And then well before dawn you can color me gone
Storm bring your flood waters turn desert to sea
Destroy all my obstacles whatever they be
Extinguish all light and fell every tree
Set me free!
Feels the currents' take
A mighty river bends her
But oh, oh, oh
She won't break
Ain't gonna break anytime soon
When sudden a tempest blows
She dwindles and dims against the cold, cold winds
And oh, oh, oh
Then she grows
Someway it's familiar to me
Gently she'll try and try and try
It amazes me and I gotta find out why
Some way she's familiar to me
Gently she'll try and try and try
It amazes me and I gotta find out why
Her secret is not to know
Nothing for me to do with or for or to
But oh, oh, oh
I just love to watch her go
I am the tempest that dwindles the flame
No one can stand the avalanche
The beast can be bargained but he can't be tamed
The die casts long ago the Rubicon crossed
No one can hold me or alter my fate
Balance and equilibrium lost
Tribe on the move the momentum won't wait
It's too late...
Build a sail to catch the wind set my chariot aloft
I am rounding on the parapet and another city burns
Harvest all creation for its ominous returns
And then well before dawn you can collar me gone
Maybe now I'm wanting something more
So we start away in the new day undaunted
Maybe that is what the morning's for
But you can't be sure
Add your song meanings, interpretations, facts, memories & more to the community.
In the first lyrical part of this song, “Setting Sun”, the narrator is reminiscing about leaving the love of his life, and how he misses her. He’s headed off to fight in a war, and he now knows he can’t be with her anymore. At the end, he says “and I am born”, which most likely means he feels like a new man, with the previous focus of his life taken from him. He enters the world anew.
The next part, “Color Me Gone” is him basically going full psycho during the chaos of war. He loves the violence and bloodshed, and willing participates, in the process losing himself, therefore the title. He has, as he says, nothing to lose and freedom to gain. He kills a lot of people, and enjoys it, as it gets continuously easier.
In “Low Branch”, and the reprise, he is looking at the eponymous low branch and a small flame. Both of them withstanding great pressures without giving up, and for some reason it fascinates him. Their amazing perseverance confuses and impresses him, and reminds him of something.
In “Color Me Gone: Reprise” he suddenly realizes where he knew them from: The people he has hurt and killed. They persevere in the face of the hardship he brings, and even though he recognizes that he’s in the wrong, he considers it too late to change his fate and accepts his role as the destroyer.
Finally, he thinks again about his lost love. He decides he needs to find someone/something new. He wants to get a fresh start to redeem himself from all of his crimes.