Singer/songwriter B.W. Stevenson (the "B.W." reportedly stood for "Buckwhea… Read Full Bio ↴Singer/songwriter B.W. Stevenson (the "B.W." reportedly stood for "Buckwheat" -- his real first name was Louis) was born October 5, 1949 in Dallas, TX. He attended W.H. Adamson High School with such other future noted musicians as Michael Martin Murphey, Ray Wylie Hubbard and Larry Groce. As a teen he played in a variety of local rock bands before attending college, eventually joining the U.S. Air Force; upon returning from duty Stevenson settled in the Austin area, where he became a frequent attraction on the city's thriving club circuit. Upon signing to RCA he was marketed primarily to country listeners, enjoying little success with either his 1972 self-titled debut or its follow-up Lead Free; the title track of 1973's My Maria, however, became a Top Ten pop favorite, reaching #9 on Billboard's Hot 100, although ironically it missed the country charts altogether. Stevenson had several other successful chart singles, including A Little Bit of Understanding and the original version of Daniel Moore's Shambala, which, in a cover version by Three Dog Night, reached #3. However, Stevenson never again regained the success he had with the release of My Maria.
After 1974's Calabasas he landed at Warner Bros. to issue We Be Sailin' a year later. Down to the Station, from 1977's Lost Feeling, was his last chart hit, and after 1980's Lifeline his recording career was over. Sadly, Stevenson died on April 28, 1988 shortly after undergoing heart valve surgery; he was just 38 years old. Since his death, Poor David's Pub in Dallas has held an annual songwriting competition in his memory.

Author Jan Reid devotes a chapter to Stevenson in his book The Improbable Rise of Redneck Rock, dubbing him "The Voice".

In mid 1996, Stevenson's hit My Maria reached the charts again when it was covered by the country duo Brooks & Dunn, for whom it became a three-week #1 country hit.

Long way to go
B.W. Stevenson Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Where you gonna turn to
Burning Bush's lie
God he's listening to ain't mine no
Big oil is wicked master
Slave god of gasoline
Ride the Armageddon mile

Sow your seed asunder

Kill you for a smile
Knead your beast and watch it rise
Feed your children to the
Halibutron war machine
Game is fixed and you're all blind

But still to get along we gotta
Long, long way to go
Oh, oh, oh no nearer to God we gotta
Long, long way to go
You sing a bloody song, you gotta
Long, long way to go

Bastard, bloody bastard
Bastard, bloody bastard

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of "Long way to go" by B.W. Stevenson are a commentary on the destructive forces of greed and power in society. The opening lines "Where you gonna turn to/Burning Bush's lie/God he's listening to ain't mine no/Big oil is wicked master/Slave god of gasoline" refer to the Bush administration's misrepresentations that led America to war in Iraq and how money and power have corrupted the religious institutions once associated with morality. The line "Ride the Armageddon mile" reflects the common feeling of doom and fatalism in a world driven by unbridled forces of authority and control.

The next verse, "Sow your seed asunder/Kill you for a smile/Knead your beast and watch it rise/Feed your children to the/Halibutron war machine/Game is fixed and you're all blind" describes the increasing numbness in society, where those in power, for a momentary satisfaction of quick profit or the feeling of victory, have become blind to their own wrongdoing and are ready to sacrifice the innocent just to stay on top. Despite this, the chorus reminds listeners that change is still needed, "But still to get along we gotta/Long, long way to go/Oh, oh, oh no nearer to God we gotta/Long, long way to go/You sing a bloody song, you gotta/Long, long way to go/Bastard, bloody bastard/Bastard, bloody bastard."

Overall, "Long way to go" is a powerful commentary on the state of the world, and a call to rethink our priorities and re-prioritize compassion, morality and justice.

Line by Line Meaning

Where you gonna turn to
What is your next move in life?

Burning Bush's lie
The false preaching of religious figures.

God he's listening to ain't mine no
The God that religious figures are referring to is not for me.

Big oil is wicked master
Oil companies have a lot of power and control over society.

Slave god of gasoline
We have become too dependent on gas and oil.

Ride the Armageddon mile
The world we live in is headed towards a catastrophic end.

Sow your seed asunder
Our actions are leading to destruction and chaos.

Kill you for a smile
People are willing to do anything to get ahead in life, even if it means hurting others.

Knead your beast and watch it rise
We have created a beast (society) that is only growing stronger and more dangerous.

Feed your children to the
We are sacrificing the well-being of our children and future generations for the sake of profit.

Haliburon war machine
The military-industrial complex is profiting off of war and destruction.

Game is fixed and you're all blind
We are living in a world where those in power are controlling the game and we are unaware of their manipulations.

But still to get along we gotta
Despite everything that we are facing as a society, we still have to find a way to coexist.

Long, long way to go
However, this will be a difficult journey and there is still a long way to go.

Oh, oh, oh no nearer to God we gotta
Despite trying to find a way forward, we are not getting any closer to finding meaning in life or connecting with a higher power.

You sing a bloody song, you gotta
If you are going to sing about the problems in society, you better be ready for the long and difficult journey ahead.

Bastard, bloody bastard
The frustration and anger towards those in power who are responsible for the world's problems.

Lyrics © CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC, Songtrust Ave
Written by: STEVE EDWARD DUREN

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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