Fullerton to Bakersfield Jim Ryan, 2012
One day I set off down the hillbilly trail
Searching for that certain lonesome sound
Leave the lights of LA, take the Golden State Freeway
Hey, I’m Bakersfield bound
A lifetime ago, bunch of dust covered Okies
Had prayed for new life from that ground
Back breaking labour was the best they could hope for
Heartbreak, the soul of their sound
By the time the century clicked half way around
Those Model A trucks turned to rust
Some boys found the sound in their Fender guitars
Picked great tunes from the dust
Across the whole nation a bunch of us heard it
Dreamed of being young Buckaroos
Twin Tele’s ringing, just the right kind of singing
That music made my dreams come true
Could Leo imagine, the gift he was giving
Putting guitars into the right hands
Turn dreams into memories, thoughts become inspiration
Change the world anyway that we can
© Jim Ryan, Guilty Man’s Music 2014 SOCAN