Roadie

Words & Music by Ala Ghawas

It was right here in this leaf-covered house by the glow
A hundred summers ago
I wrote down the very first verse on the cracks of the pretty sidewalks
My guitar was still ice-cold
You wouldn’t want to know me
You wouldn’t want to show me

There was you and me and the 14 beautiful souls
sharing the beds and the meals with the other 7 next door
And as the time travel away I was still the same dull delicate bard
in a sea of tears to explore
I was never bold, I was never whole
Dear God, don’t take me to heaven if there’s no rock and roll
I came all the way to tell you I’m still alive
A tortured roadie at the age of 25
All your thirsty sailors have sucked my blood
and you've just watched me nosedive
You wouldn’t want to reach me
You wouldn’t want to teach me

You let me see death and birth, pain and mirth, the joy of wealth
and the struggle to survive
I’ve seen enough for the final verse to fly around, to stick behind
and to finally arrive

Those holy germs have left a big hole in my soul
Dear God, don’t take me to heaven if there’s no rock and roll

Sons & daughters, people of mine, here’s my everlasting rhyme
I’m going now but I’ll see you under different skies so get by

I’m ready to go
I’m ready to go
I’m ready to go
I’m ready to go
Dear God, don’t take me to heaven if there’s no rock and roll

Boy: "Ala, are we there yet?"
Man: "I don’t know, maybe we should sing it one more time."
Boy: "Okay."
Together: "Dear God, don’t take me to heaven if there’s no rock and roll."