Stones In The Road
Carpenter Mary Chapin Lyrics
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Every morning of our lives
The classroom rang with children's voices
Under teacher's watchful eye
We learned about the world around us
At our desks and at dinner time
Reminded of the starving children
We cleaned our plates with guilty minds
And the stones in the road
Shone like diamonds in the dust
And then a voice called to us
To make our way back home
When I was ten my father held me
On his shoulders above the crowd
To see a train draped in mourning
Pass slowly through our town
His widow kneeled with all their children
At the sacred burial ground
And the TV glowed that long hot summer
With all the cities burning down
And the stones in the road
Flew out beneath our bicycle tires
Worlds removed from all those fires
As we raced each other home
And now we drink our coffee on the run
We climb that ladder rung by rung
We are the daughters and the sons
And here's the line that's missing
The starving children have been replaced
By souls out on the street
We give a dollar when we pass
And hope our eyes don't meet
We pencil in we cancel out
We crave the corner suite
We kiss your ass, we make you hold
We doctor the receipt
And the stones in the road
They fly out from beneath our wheels
Another day, another deal
Before we get back home
Stones in the road
Leave a mark whence they came
A thousands points of light or shame
Baby, I don't know
"Stones in the Road" by Carpenter Mary Chapin is a contemplative song that explores the evolution of society and the changes that occur in individuals as they age. The lyrics begin by reflecting on childhood, where we were taught to pledge our allegiance to the country and to be mindful of the less fortunate. The imagery of children cleaning their plates with "guilty minds" after being reminded of the starving children is particularly poignant. As we grow older, the sense of innocence and idealism fades, as we witness tragedy and turmoil firsthand. The verse about the mournful train passing through town alludes to the assassination of Robert F. Kennedy, which deeply affected many Americans during this time.
The final verse speaks to the present day, where people are consumed with their careers and material success. The starving children are now replaced with homeless people, and the wealthy are more concerned about securing the corner office than helping those in need. The metaphor of "stones in the road" refers to the obstacles and challenges that people encounter as they navigate through life, leaving a mark on the path where they came from. Some leave behind a "thousand points of light," trying to make the world a better place, while others create "shame" through their greed and selfishness.
Overall, Carpenter Mary Chapin's song is a poignant reflection on the journey of life, and the changes that society undergoes over time. It encourages listeners to consider the choices they make and the legacy they leave behind.
Line by Line Meaning
When we were young we pledged allegiance
As children, we made a promise of loyalty to our country
Every morning of our lives
This pledge was a daily occurrence for us in school
The classroom rang with children's voices
Our youthful voices echoed in the classroom
Under teacher's watchful eye
Our teacher ensured that we recited the pledge correctly
We learned about the world around us
We gained knowledge about our surroundings from school and home
At our desks and at dinner time
Our learning took place in formal as well as informal settings
Reminded of the starving children
Awareness was raised about less fortunate children in the world
We cleaned our plates with guilty minds
We felt guilty about wasting food and ensured that we finished it
And the stones in the road
The obstacles in our lives
Shone like diamonds in the dust
They glimmered and were noticeable despite being mundane
And then a voice called to us
We heard a call to return home
To make our way back home
We were asked to return to our roots
When I was ten my father held me
At the age of 10, my father held me
On his shoulders above the crowd
He lifted me high enough to be seen over the crowd
To see a train draped in mourning
We witnessed a procession of trains commemorating someone's death
Pass slowly through our town
The train passed through our town at a slow pace
His widow kneeled with all their children
The deceased's wife and their children knelt in honor of their loved one
At the sacred burial ground
They visited the holy ground set aside for the deceased
And the TV glowed that long hot summer
That summer was so hot that the glow of the TV set became more noticeable
With all the cities burning down
All around us, cities were set ablaze
And the stones in the road
Life's challenges
Flew out beneath our bicycle tires
As children, we biking quickly away from our problems
Worlds removed from all those fires
We were far from the chaos of the burning cities
As we raced each other home
We frantically sped away from our fears to reach the safety of our homes
And now we drink our coffee on the run
As adults, we have no time to sit and enjoy our coffee
We climb that ladder rung by rung
We make progress in our professional lives step-by-step
We are the daughters and the sons
We, the successors of our parents' legacy
And here's the line that's missing
Here's what is left unsaid
The starving children have been replaced
Children in need are still prevalent, but now in a different form
By souls out on the street
Homeless people begging on the street
We give a dollar when we pass
We give a small amount of money as charity when we encounter beggars
And hope our eyes don't meet
We are uncomfortable with their presence and feel guilty about our privilege
We pencil in we cancel out
We meticulously plan our schedules, but often end up cancelling our plans
We crave the corner suite
We desire a position of power in the corporate world
We kiss your ass, we make you hold
We pander to our superiors and make them wait on us
We doctor the receipt
We manipulate our financial documents to hide our dishonest practices
And the stones in the road
The obstacles in our lives
They fly out from beneath our wheels
We speed through our lives and tackle our obstacles haphazardly
Another day, another deal
Our lives are filled with mundane transactions and business dealings
Before we get back home
Before we can rest and be at peace
Stones in the road
The challenges we face in our journey
Leave a mark whence they came
They leave a lasting impact on us and where we came from
A thousands points of light or shame
They can either bring enlightenment to our path or bring us down with them
Baby, I don't know
Regardless of their impact, their true meaning is uncertain
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: MARY CARPENTER, MARY CHAPIN CARPENTER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind