In 1969, Ray Benson and Lucky Oceans (Reuben Gosfield) co-founded Asleep at the Wheel in Paw Paw, West Virginia, and soon after they found themselves opening for Alice Cooper and Hot Tuna in Washington, DC.[1] A year later, they moved to East Oakland, California at the invitation of Commander Cody and His Lost Planet Airmen. After being mentioned in Rolling Stone magazine by Van Morrison, they landed a record deal with United Artists. In 1973, their debut album, Comin' Right At Ya was released by United Artists. At the request of Willie Nelson, they left Oakland for Austin in 1974.
Ray Benson and Asleep at the Wheel have been presented numerous awards throughout their career. Most recently, the 16th Annual Midsouth Regional Emmy Award for the making of "A Ride With Bob", recognition by Mayor Kirk Watson of Austin, Texas, and the Darrel K. Royal Music Patron Award by The Texas Heritage Songwriters' Association. In 2007, The Austin Chronicle recognized Asleep at the Wheel for Band of the Year, Best Country Band, and into their Hall of Fame. Benson was inducted into the Austin Music Hall of Fame in 2002, was given The Texas Music Association Lifetime Achievement Award in 1996, and recognized as an Outstanding Producer by the National Academy of Recording Arts in 1988. He has also been given numerous Citations of Achievement by Broadcast Music, Inc. for his work in the country music field. Ray Benson and Asleep at the Wheel have been one of the strongest names in Country Music for the last forty years.
The Cape
Asleep at the Wheel Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Tied all around his neck
He climbed up on the garage
He's figurin' what the heck
Well, he screwed up his courage up so tight
That the whole thing come unwound
He got a runnin' start and bless his heart
He's headed for the ground
Is just a leap of faith
Spread your arms and hold your breath
And always trust your cape
Now he's all grown up with a flour sack cape
Tied all around his dreams
And he's full of spit and vinegar
And he's bustin' at the seams
Well, he licked his finger and
he checked the wind
It's gonna be do or die
He wasn't scared of nothin' boys
He was pretty sure he could fly
Well (yes) he's one of those who knows that life
Is just a leap of faith
Spread your arms and hold your breath
And always trust your cape
Now he's old and gray with a flour sack cape
Tied all around his head
He's still jumpin' off the garage
And will be till he's dead
All these years the people said
He was actin' like a kid
He did not know he could not fly
So he did
Well (yes) he's one of those who knows that life
Is just a leap of faith
Spread your arms and hold your breath
And always trust your cape
Well (yes) he's one of those who knows that life
Is just a leap of faith
Spread your arms and hold your breath
And always trust your cape
The song “The Cape” by Asleep at the Wheel is about a boy who becomes a man and still holds onto his childhood dreams. The first verse describes the boy as eight years old, wearing a cape made of a flour sack and climbing up on the garage, ready to leap off. The second verse tells us that the boy, now a man, holds onto his dreams and is ready to follow them. The final verse reveals that the man is now old and gray, but still jumps off the garage with his flour sack cape tied around his head. This man refused to let go of his dreams, and never let the naysayers get the best of him.
The lyrics encourage listeners to follow their dreams and to take risks. The flour sack cape is a symbol of the human spirit, that childlike determination to follow your dreams no matter what. The chorus repeats the idea that life is just a leap of faith and that you should always trust in your “cape”, or your own abilities, strength and perseverance.
Line by Line Meaning
Eight years old with a flour sack cape
As a child, the singer of the song fashioned a makeshift cape out of a flour sack.
Tied all around his neck
He fastened the cape tightly around his neck himself.
He climbed up on the garage
Bravely, he climbed up to the top of his garage.
He's figurin' what the heck
He's contemplating what he's about to do next.
Well, he screwed up his courage up so tight
With great effort, he mustered his bravery.
That the whole thing come unwound
In the process, his cape became loose.
He got a runnin' start and bless his heart
Determined, he sprinted towards the edge of the garage.
He's headed for the ground
He's jumping off the garage and falling towards the ground.
Well (yes) he's one of those who knows that life
The artist is a believer in the philosophy that life is unpredictable.
Is just a leap of faith
He feels that life is all about taking risks.
Spread your arms and hold your breath
When you take a leap of faith, you gotta take a deep breath and be ready to make the jump.
And always trust your cape
In the face of the unknown, he remains confident in his abilities and the tools he has with him.
Now he's all grown up with a flour sack cape
Years have passed, but he's still wearing his flour sack cape.
Tied all around his dreams
He's still using his cape to represent his aspirations and hopes.
And he's full of spit and vinegar
He's filled with enthusiasm and energy.
And he's bustin' at the seams
He's overflowing with excitement.
Well, he licked his finger and he checked the wind
He's methodical and calculated, checking if conditions are favorable before jumping.
It's gonna be do or die
He knows what he's about to do is a high-risk maneuver where either he'll make it or he'll fail.
He wasn't scared of nothin' boys
He's not intimidated by anything.
He was pretty sure he could fly
He's confident that he could make the jump and feel like he's flying.
Now he's old and gray with a flour sack cape
Years have passed, and he's still wearing his cape even in his old age.
Tied all around his head
He has it tied around his head, showing his unwavering loyalty to his dreams.
He's still jumpin' off the garage
Even in his old age, he's still jumping off the garage.
And will be till he's dead
He'll keep doing it until his final breath.
All these years the people said
People often ridiculed him due to his childish behavior.
He was actin' like a kid
They accused him of behaving like a child.
He did not know he could not fly
He never accepted limitations or that he couldn't fly, demonstrating the power of belief.
So he did
His belief allowed him to take a leap of faith and make it happen.
Well (yes) he's one of those who knows that life
He believed in the same philosophy of life as he did when he was young.
Is just a leap of faith
He still feels that life is all about ambivalence and taking a risky move.
Spread your arms and hold your breath
The singer believes that in the face of the unknown, one must take a deep breath and be ready to face it.
And always trust your cape
He still has faith in his abilities, and no matter how old he is, his cape reminds him of that.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: GUY CLARK, JIM JANOSKY, SUSANNA WALLIS CLARK
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Ben - Moderator
The issue with search on Firefox is now resolved.
Ben - Moderator
Sorry about that Eddie - we will resolve this very soon. In the meantime you should still be able to paste a search into the search box. I'll update you here.
Eddie
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