SAGA

 

1

When You Can Fly

This song is sort of the overview. We travelled and, as a result, had no place to truly call home.

2

There Was A War

 My parents – a woman from Colorado and a man from Iceland – came to meet at Berkley in 1944.

3

Top of the World

They moved to northern Iceland and had three kids. It was a pretty desolate place,

4

Tropical Island

In 1952 we moved to Sri Lanka, where we stayed for 12 years. A fourth child was born there.

5

Moving On

We moved to the Philippines. I have always believed that my fatherÕs career went well because, with good reason, people liked him.

6

More

From the Philippines, the three oldest went to the US. The family proceeded on to Indonesia, Malta and Rome.

7

Rolling

On retirement they split time between Iceland and the US, finally settling on the latter. For years they drove for Meals on Wheels, helping the less fortunate, as well pursuing their individual genealogies.

 

 

 

WHEN YOU CAN FLY

WHEN YOU CAN FLY, WHEN YOUR HIGHWAY IS THE SKY

ANY PLACE IS HOME, BUT THEREÕS NO PLACE TO CALL YOUR OWN

ITÕS A BARGAIN FOR THE TAKING

TRADE YOUR ROOTS FOR WINGS

THATÕS WHAT YOU LEARN WHEN YOU LEARN THAT YOU CAN FLY

 

FOLLOW A PATH THAT DOES NOT TAKE YOU BACK

DONÕT LOOK DOWN WHEN YOU SAY GOODBYE

CITIZENS OF EVERYWHERE

NATIVES TO NOWHERE

THATÕS WHAT YOU BECOME WHEN YOU FIND OUT YOU CAN FLY

 

WHEN YOU CAN FLY YOU LIVE ON THE WIND

RIDE THE BREEZE BUT DONÕT ASK HOW OR WHY

YOU CAN CALL IT ACCIDENT, YOU CAN CALL IT DESTINY

CALL IT WHAT YOU WILL WHEN YOU LEARN THAT YOU CAN FLY

 

WHEN YOU CAN FLY, WHEN YOUR HIGHWAY IS THE SKY

TAKES SOME TIME TO UNDERSTAND

YOU CAN GO ANYWHERE, BUT YOU CANÕT STAY THERE

YOU CAN FLY

BUT YOU CANNOT LAND

 

THERE WAS A WAR

 

FROM MASSIVE SHOCKS AND SHUDDERS TINY CHANGES GROW

LIKE REYKJAVIK MEETING PUEBLO

THERE WAS A WAR, SHAKING THE WORLD

AND IF ITÕS SHAKEN HARD ENOUGH, WHO KNOWS WHAT FALLS OUT

 

CALIFORNIA WAS NO PLACE FOR A NORTHERN BOY TO BE

EVEN ONE WITH A GLOBETROTTING HISTORY

BUT THERE WAS A WAR AND THE OBVIOUS ROADS WERE SHUT

SO WHAT WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN A CHOICE

BECAME THE ONLY WAY

 

WHILE A COLORADO GIRL FOUND HERSELF STARING AT THE GOLDEN GATE 

TRYING TO GET TO SCHOOL AND TRYING TO HAVE SOME FUN

CAUSE THERE WAS A WAR AND DADDY WAS IN THE NAVY

AND CALIFORNIA FACES OUT TOWARD THE RISING SUN

 

AND BECAUSE OF THAT WAR, SO MUCH TURNED OUT DIFFERENTLY

ONE THING BEING I CAME TO BE   

THE FIERCEST OF FIRES THROW OUT TINY SPARKS

EACH AN UNEXPECTED ARC

LEAVING ITS TRACE THROUGH THE DARK

 

 

THE TOP OF THE WORLD

 

AT THE TOP OF THE WORLD THE ROAD IS MADE OF MUD

THE SKY IS LEAD

AND THE LIGHT IS MADE OF GLASS

AND THE HIGHWAY IS THE OCEAN AND THE SKY

 

ON THE EDGE OF NOWHERE, FACING NORTH TO NOTHING

BE CAREFUL WHAT YOU ASK FOR

WATCH OUT WHAT YOU WANT

SOLITUDEÕS ANOTHER NAME FOR LONELINESS

 

WIND-CARVED AUSTERE ENCHANTMENT

ISOLATION AND NOVELTY

ENDLESS DARK AND LIGHT

FRACTURED DAYS AND NIGHTS

THIS IS NOT WHAT YOU THOUGHT IT WOULD BE

 

AND IT MAY OR MAY NOT HELP WHEN TWO TURNS INTO FIVE

AND THE VOICES OF CHILDREN ARE YOUR DAILY COMPANY

AS YOU TRY TO KEEP THE YOUNG ONES FROM THEIR TEARS

AND YOURSELF FROM YOUR OWN CH.

 

BUT YOUÕVE COME THIS FAR; DONÕT LET IT GET YOU DOWN

ONE STEP AT A TIME KEEPS YOU HEADED WHERE YOUÕRE BOUND

IF YOUR FORTUNES JUST KEEPS MOVING

SOONER OR LATER THEREÕS REPRIEVE

AND THEN SUDDENLY FROM NOWHERE

ITÕS TIME FOR YOU TO LEAVE

 

 

TROPICAL ISLAND

 

GENERATIONS OF TRAVELLERS

STORIES OF FAR-OFF PLACES

DREW IN THE BACKGROUND BUT DIDNÕT FILL IN THE SPACES

HOW DID YOU ARRIVE, HALF A WORLD AWAY

STEP INTO A PLACE UNKNOWN

AND STILL FEEL LIKE YOUÕRE COMING HOME

 

OH, TROPICAL ISLAND, MORE THAN A CHANGE

STRANGEST OF ALL, IT DOESNÕT FEEL STRANGE

 

LEARNING TO TEACH ON A PALM-LINED BEACH

DOLPHINS DANCING JUST OUT OF REACH

ONLY LATER FINDING OUT THATÕS AS GOOD AS IT GETS

MAYBE THIS LASTS FOREVER, MAYBE IT ENDS TOO SOON

MAYBE IT COMES LIKE A SUMMER RAIN

AND STAYS LIKE A LATE MONSOON Chorus.

 

HOW COULD YOU HAVE KNOWN

THIS ROAD WOULD BE SO LONG

HOW COULD YOU HAVE IMAGINED

THE TIDE COULD BE SO STRONG

LIVING DAY TO DAY THEN YEAR TO YEAR

WATCHING AS ONE MORE CHILD MARKED YOUR TIME HERE Chorus.

 

 

 

MOVING ON

 

MOVING ON, MOVING UP, MOVING ON, MOVING UP

 

WE THOUGHT THEYÕD NEVER LET YOU GO
BUT WEÕVE GOT RULES AROUND HERE YOU KNOW

AND WE DONÕT NEED SOMEBODY GOING NATIVE

ANYWAY THEREÕS ANOTHER POST

ANOTHER GIG ON ANOTHER COAST

AND WE NEED SOMEBODY COOL AND CREATIVE

 

SO YOUÕRE MOVING ON, MOVING UP

THIS WONÕT BE THE PLACE THAT YOU GET STUCK

BIGGER AND BETTER, CLOSER TO THE CENTER

MOVING ON, MOVING UP

 

YOU GET BIGGER FISH TO CATCH

YOU GET A TITLE, YOU GET PAY TO MATCH

SOMETHING ELSE TO SINK YOUR TEETH INTO

THIS ISLAND NEEDS A LITTLE BIT OF WORK

NEEDS SOMEBODY WHOÕS NOT A JERK

AND THIS MIGHT JUST BE OUR WAY WAY OF SAYING THANK YOU

 

SO YOUÕRE MOVING ON, MOVING UP

TURN THAT DISPOSITION INTO LUCK

BIGGER AND BETTER, CLOSER TO THE CENTER

MOVING ON, MOVING UP

 

SOME RISE UP ON LADDERS MADE OF SINS

LEAVING THEIR TRACKS, ON OTHER PEOPLEÕS BACKS

SOMETIMES INSTEAD

WELL, A GOOD MAN GETS AHEAD

EVERY NOW AND THEN A NICE GUY WINS

 

SO YOUÕRE MOVING ON, MOVING UP

TELL YOURSELF GOOD FORTUNE FINALLY STRUCK

BIGGER AND BETTER, CLOSER TO THE CENTER

MOVING ON, MOVING UP

 

SO YOUÕRE MOVING ON, MOVING UP

CORNER OFFICE WITH A FEW MORE BUCKS

BIGGER AND BETTER, CLOSER TO THE CENTER

MOVING ON, MOVING UP

MOVING ON, MOVING UP, MOVING ON, MOVING UP

MORE

 

SHOW ME SOMETHING MORE,

SOME OTHER ISLAND, SOME OTHER SHORE,

THAT I HAVENÕT SEEN BEFORE

 

LESS NOW TO CARRY,

TRAVELLING LIGHT THESE DAYS

EASIER TO MOVE WITH LESS LEFT TO PROVE

AND I KNOW THEREÕS MORE TO SEE

I KNOW THEREÕS MORE LEFT TO BE, SO É Chorus.

 

WHY THIS LATE-LIFE CHALLENGE

FRIENDSHIP TORN APART

SET UP FOR THE TAKE-DOWN 

STRAIGHT TO THE HEART

BUT EVEN SO

IÕM SURE THEREÕS MORE LEFT TO KNOW, SO É Chorus.

 

TAKE ME UP TO THE FINAL STOP

UP TO WHAT SHOULD BE THE TOP

HEREÕS WHERE WE MUST PART COMPANY

TIME TO LEAVE WHILE IÕM STRONG

ITÕS CLEAR THAT ITÕS BEEN TOO LONG SINCE YOU

SHOWED ME SOMETHING MORE,

WHERE ARE THE ISLANDS, WHERE ARE THE SHORES,

THAT I HAVENÕT SEEN BEFORE

 

SHOW ME SOMETHING MORE,

SOME  OTHER ISLANDS, SOME OTHER SHORES,

THAT I HAVENÕT SEEN BEFORE

 

 

ROLLING ON

 

WEÕVE GOT A CAR, SO WE CAN STILL ROLL

DOING ONCE AGAIN WHAT WAS ALWAYS THE GOAL

NO NEED TO WONDER ABOUT RIGHT AND WRONG

CONSCIENCE IS ENOUGH WHEN CONSCIENCE IS STRONG

IF WEÕRE GONNA FLOW ON LIKE A RIVER RUN

YES WEÕRE GONNA GO ON, FOLLOWING THE SUN

INTO THE DAWN, WEÕLL KEEP ON ROLLING ON

 

GONNA TAKE THESE WHEELS, GONNA LOOK AROUND

THEREÕS A LOT WAITING TO BE FOUND

GEORGIA, ARIZONA, MICHIGAN  UTAH

THE PAST WE UNCOVERED, THE FAMILY THAT WE SAW

WHO WOULD HAVE SUSPECTED IT COMES TO THIS AT LAST

LIVING FOR TODAY, AND LOVING THE PAST

THATÕS COME AND GONE

WE KEEP ON ROLLING ON

 

AND IT FEELS LIKE A RIVER ACROSS THE LEVEL PLAIN

SLIPPING TO THE OCEAN, COMING HOME AGAIN

TOSSED FROM THE MOUNTAINS, HOWEVER THAT MAY BE

A RIVER CANNOT KNOW, ITÕS PULLED TO THE SEA

SO HOLD TO THE STORY, JUST ENJOY THE RIDE

DONÕT FIGHT THE FEELING OF THE SHIFTING TIDE

TO WHICH YOUÕRE DRAWN

KEEP ON ROLLING ON

 

LIVING OUT THE LESSON

THE REASON FOR THE SHOW

LEANING TO THE PURPOSE

THAT WE LEARNED SO LONG AGO

 

KEEP ON ROLLING ON

KEEP ON ROLLING ON

KEEP ON ROLLING ON