the Lonely Hiker
(JCH -- 1990)
Walking down the lonely highway
of dreams
A car pulled up beside me and the
driver said, “Boy, seems
you could use a lift” and I just
smile and say
I’m down and out and get in and
ride off into the day.
The driver was an old woman named
Brenda Lee
And in the backseat sat her daughters
Dori and Desiree.
I smile and say hey and they ask
me where to
But don’t have any particular place
to go or thing to do.
You looked so pretty as the pink sunlight rose from the east
And the tear trickled down your cheek with sheer elegance
You know I never meant to make you cry
In fact, I’d just about die for one last chance
Met a man just outside Aynor who
said I looked lost.
Man was old and toothless; I said
I’m looking for love at any cost.
He just smiled and shook his head
as again I hit the road
thinking of the meaning of life
and love and how I could find the code.
Stuck out my thumb and got picked
up by a VW van.
Some wacked-out hippies smoking
weed from a can.
They said I could fit right in,
but I ran at the next red light
not looking back, as daytime turned
slowly to night.
You know you looked so pretty in emperors clothes
and I thought you were the only one I’d ever need
But people change and things get out of hand
And please shed no more tears for my dirty deed
I’m still searching, living the
life of the Lonely Hiker.
I could settle down or become a
Harley-Davidson biker.
The world is out there waiting for
me.
And someone is out there too, waiting
to see
If it’s me she’s looking for to
love and adore.
And if I find you again, girl, I’ll
even the score.
I will make you see I never meant
to make you cry
But understand that I’m the Lonely
Hiker until I die.