Lyrics to a song by Si Kahn that I really really like:

You must know someone like him
He’s strong and tall and lean
His body like a greyhound
And his mind so sharp and keen
But his heart just like a laurel
Grew twisted on itself
‘Til almost everything he did
Brought pain to someone else

Chorus
For what’s the use of two strong legs
If you only run away
And what good is the finest voice
With nothing good to say
And what good is strength and muscle
If you only push and shove
What’s the use in two good ears
If you can’t hear those you love
Chorus

Over 15 years ago I first heard of David Wilcox and bought 2 of his CDs. Many of his songs ‘spoke’ to me at that time and have since, something about his lyrics and way of thinking meshes with mine. As it turns out he even attended Antioch College in 1976, but I’ve talked about this in an earlier post.

The purpose of this entry is to highlight the lyrics to one short song he wrote and another poem (Which I believe is unreleased) that I have found useful to quote & send these to friends over the years. We all battle with self-image and over-self-analysis and criticism, but it drives me nuts when friends start insulting themselves or undersell their amazing abilities. It also drives me nuts to see people ‘tread water’, where they aren’t moving forward they are just staying in one place in life, not challenging themselves, just ‘floating’… waiting for a sign or something. Well.. to quote the comedy routine of the 90′s, “HERE’S YOUR SIGN!”

I’ve already sent these to many friends who I felt ‘needed’ them, but this is a pre-emptive strike for the rest of you; “You rock! I and many others are in sheer awe of your amazing self, so drop the self pity, shake the dust off your shoulders, stand tall and go make a difference. You CAN do it! What are you waiting for? GO GO GO!”

Burgundy Heart Shaped Medallion

If I had a spell of magic
I would make this enchantment for you
A burgundy heart-shaped medallion
With a window that you could look through
So that when all the mirrors are angry
With your faults and all you must do
You could peek through that heart-shaped medallion
And see you from my point of view

- © David Wilcox on his ‘How Did You Find Me Here?’ album

The driver right in front of me is making a mistake
He’s stopping on the entrace ramp, waiting for his break
The more he hits his break, the bigger break he’s going to need
When a little break is plenty if he’d just been up to speed

So I say move and you’ll have your place
Don’t sit waiting on the human race
Just go, you got your chance
You can’t be timid in the four-lane dance

Oh and now he’s got it parked there and he’s looking back behind
Pleading out the window, hoping someone might be kind enough
To stop and wait and hold the traffic flow
And still he’s not quite confident there’s room for him to go

So I say move and you’ll have your place
Don’t sit waiting on the human race
Just go, you got your chance
You can’t be timid in the four-lane dance

The freeway’s just a lesson in the way you drive your dream
If you think you’ll never make it, well than that’s the way it seems
But if you thought that it’d be easy, well then easy it wouldbe
Why just a foot between the bumpers has been room enough for me

So I say move and you’ll have your place
Don’t sit waiting on the human race
Just go, you got your chance
You can’t be timid in the four-lane dance

- © David Wilcox, unreleased.