Letters From Rome
from Hard Place To Find by Tobin Mueller
LETTERS FROM ROME by Anders Osborne
(with slight alterations)
"We are all in this together," said the Captain to his crew.
"It's pretty much a sacred mission. You are all the chosen few.
So let's sail in the morning and no one else can know...
We've got letters from Rome. Yes we do!"
Well, some got out at this point. The rest, they slowly left the coast.
Headin' straight for open waters... somewhere they could be their most.
"We set course for tomorrow so make this ship your own.
We've got letters from Rome."
Through all the hustle and commotion, the deck got slick with rum and pee.
A salty wind ran their emotions and four good men plunged to the sea.
And, no, they won't see tomorrow nor their names in stone,
But they saw the letters from Rome.
They reached the docks at Midland Glory and people came from far beyond,
Bringing gifts and admiration to the ship the King was on.
And they all danced til the sun rose then left the crew alone
With nothin' but letters from Rome.
My bunk mate Jack he jumped ship then he married a full tattooed lady from the North.
She brought him luck or so the story goes . He left the ocean for her warmth.
They road into the sunset: the beautiful unknown.
No more letters from Rome.
"This old boat has lost its direction," the Captain cried with all his might.
"Incoming storm! Make preparations! This is a battle for our lives!"
They were plagued by some sickness. The captain overthrown,
Fighting the letters from Rome.
...Scat...
Ninety years they sailed the surface, never once explored the depth.
Sacrifice without a purpose. It takes just a heartbeat to forget.
All gone in the morning, never to be found.
Just like the letters from Rome.
Just like the letters...
I think I know where I left them...
What a minute, I know where they are...
I think...
...Sailing on the ocean...
Song Notes: At 6:30, this travelogue tale of sailors carrying a letter from Rome is the longest track on the album. A true story song. I first heard it while watching the HBO show set in post-Katrina New Orleans, Tremé. I fell in love with it.
The story reminds me of Mutiny on the Bounty, one of those late shows that haunted me as a youth. There was always a part of me wondering what it would be like to hijack a galleon, find an island populated by free and happy (and beautiful) people, and spend the rest of my days there.
Not all of these lyrics are exact, mainly because I couldn't remember them all correctly, but also I just could not fit them into the space required as well as Anders Osborne (whose version is a delight). The track adds a since of lightness to the entire project. I tried to being a sense of humor to my playing as well.
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