across time: before & after

Across Time is another tune I wrote with my dad, Tom Williams. It was the first time since he taught me to play guitar when I was 10 that we actually collaborated on a song. I love to geek out on song origins, so here's the original email in 2015 that made me think, hmm, I could make something with this.

and this is me, across time. and I am changed, and have thereby lost, and gained. I'd like to compare, balance, what if? but it don't do no good. there is here and there is now, and the future? mebbe woven to my liking, mebbe not, but woven. I noe that only compassion/love is real. and, ha, oh my, it makes me feel very blessed. I cannot see much in the darkness that seems about, but I kin still feel those things I choose to touch about me. I noe what is true treasure. it is good food for hungry mouths, warm shelter and a good bed for the weary, and the hand on yer shoulder as someone looks into yer eyes and sez, "you have done well, you are blessed, and I noe how bad you feel, and I'll share a bit of yer heavy load." making mistakes for the right reasons is my line of work. and out of those mistakes, I learn. my, sometimes the learnin', really hurts, and, I need to make my load go against science, with that cold gravity. I want to feel lighter by my knowin', and I wanta gain, by, my, loss. I kin only do that magic wid some artists, who painted a picture, with or without a viewer, who chiseled stone, for empty spaces, who wrote words, only made real by their pain, for books that only pressed flowers, or went to used book shops and found homes, singers who sang to many deaf groups, all for the ones who listened. I have been in cold places, and I have been warmed by candle light and friendship. sometimes there are no cars or trucks or road signs on my highways. but. sometimes I come to a gas station with a coca-cola machine, and packs of crackers, and sometimes i run into a friend. what a wonderful trip.

Amazing as is, right?

It took me a few months, but here's what I ended up with. It doesn't have all the beautiful gems he wrote but I got as much as I could in there!

This is me, across time 
I have changed 
I've lost and I've gained my little pieces of string 

There is here and there is now 
while the future, she's always weaving 
and I search for the magic of those who can chisel fine stone from thin air 
I'm leaning in for some truth. 

I know the treasure of a hand on my shoulder 
Saying 'Hush now, it'll be alright." 
The path can grow weary and the mountains rise high. 
You still say, it'll be alright. 

You know that making mistakes For all the right reasons 
is my line of work 
Sometimes I learn 
But the learning sure hurts me and so 
I fight the science of 
Cold gravity. The more I let go, the lighter I feel I want to gain from my loss 

And I know the treasure of a hand on my shoulder 
Saying 'Hush now, it'll be alright." 
The path can grow weary and the mountains rise high. 
You still say, it'll be alright. 

I know the treasure 
of a hand on my shoulder saying ‘hush now, it’ll be alright And each time that boulder rolls back down that hill 
You still say, ‘it’ll be alright' 
Why don’t you gimme some of your heavy load 

This highway gets lonely but sometimes there's a gas station where I'll run into a friend.

You can hear the finished song here. 

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