Leavin' home, out on the road
I've been down before
Ridin' along in this big ol' jet plane
I've been thinkin' about my home
But my love light seems so far away
And I feel like it's all been done
Somebody's tryin' to make me stay
You know I've got to be movin' on
Oh, oh, big ol' jet airliner
Don't carry me too far away
Oh, oh, big ol' jet airliner
'Cause it's here that I've got to stay
Goodbye to all my friends at home
Goodbye to people I've trusted
I've got to go out and make my way
I might get rich, you know, I might get busted
But my heart keeps calling me backwards
As I get on the 707
Ridin' high, I got tears in my eyes
You know you got to go through hell
Before you get to heaven
Touchin' down in New England town
Feel the heat comin' down
I've got to keep on keepin' on
You know the big wheel keeps on spinnin' around
And I'm goin' with some hesitation
You know that I can surely see
That I don't want to get caught up in any of that
Funky shit goin' down in the city
Big ol' jet airliner . . .
~ Paul Pena
Paul Pena? Not Steve Miller? Yes. Pena was a folksinger from New England who wrote "Jet Airliner" in 1973. Conflicts with his record label prevented the song and its album, New Train, from being released, and meanwhile, Steve Miller Band recorded it for Book of Dreams in 1977. (New Train was finally released in 2000.) The live video linked above is from a 2007 Steve Miller Band concert in Chicago. Think about it: SMB's "Jet Airliner" is four decades old! And it still takes down the house.
As I am writing this, a man in Florida is boarding a jet airliner for a flight north. My guy is coming to the Northeast and will be treated to the fall foliage he has never seen as a native Texan and current Floridian. My current view is not showing the peak colors yet, despite what the "peak season maps" say, but it's still quite pretty out there. And we'll have ten days to watch it all evolve. By the end of the week, we will be road-tripping south to Florida, stopping in Gettysburg, Chapel Hill, Asheville, Clayton, Hilton Head, and Ponte Vedra on our way. Weather allowing, we'll wind our way through the Blue Ridge Mountains on the Skyline Drive in Shenandoah National Park and the Blue Ridge Parkway. Slow driving (35 mph on the Skyline Drive) but worth it if the fog stays away.
Jet planes can get you where you want or need to go, but a road trip lets you see where you are.
But I've got to cut this post short if I want to get to the airport on time. I've got a warm hoodie for the guy who just had a little meltdown when I mentioned last night's frost. He'll adjust. And before he's even ready to leave this beautiful place, we'll be driving back into the southern warmth.
Feel the heat comin' down.
No comments:
Post a Comment