Ortega was born and raised in Albuquerque, New Mexico near the banks of the Rio Grande. He started learning piano at eight years of age. Through his father's work with the United States Department of State, he also spent time in Ecuador and Barbados. It is from his heritage and classical training at The University of New Mexico where Ortega derives his sound, embracing country, classical, Celtic, Latin American, world, modern folk, and rustic hymnody. Fernando Ortega currently leads worship at Christ the King Anglican Church in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
His album Storm reached No. 197 on the Billboard 200 in 2002, and Christmas Songs reached No. 36 on the Billboard Christmas Album Chart in 2009.
Road Song
Fernando Ortega Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Every far and lonely highway,
Through basin and range
And a desert that never ends-
A sky so wide
You can feel your heart turn quiet,
And then I listen
For the voices of my friends
One rides in the summer wind beside me,
One flies with the stars
That set the wild night on fire,
One runs close and steady as a river,
I could drive for miles
Carried by that choir.
From the hills of my hometown,
To the Arizona canyons,
From Chinle to Sky City
To the gorge of the Rio Grande-
The high and winding way
From Chimayo to Las Trampas,
The long road bends
To the sweet sound of my friends.
One's up where the clouds brush the mountains,
One rushes down a stream
Past the bright columbine -
I could drive for miles
Just thinking about them,
How I love the road
And these true friends of mine.
One rides in the summer wind beside me,
One flies with the stars
That set the wild night on fire,
One runs close and steady as a river
I could drive for miles
Carried by that choir.
The song "Road Song" by Fernando Ortega is a beautiful tribute to the friendships we make in our lives and the memories we create while traveling. The lyrics describe the joy of driving on long and lonely highways, through deserts and basins, and feeling the depth of quietness in one's heart as they listen to the voices of their friends. The song is a heartfelt celebration of the connections made through shared experiences and the ways in which those relationships sustain us long after we return home.
Ortega's lyrics transport the listener from the hills of his hometown to the Arizona canyons, from Chinle to Sky City, to the Rio Grande Gorge. The winding road from Chimayo to Las Trampas evokes a sense of nostalgia for those times we've spent outdoors, taking in the natural beauty of our surroundings. The song culminates in a chorus that celebrates the diversity and strength of the friendships we've forged; one friend rides beside us in the summer wind, another flies with the stars, and yet another runs close and steady as a river. These friends comprise a "choir" that carries us through the ups and downs of life's journey.
In sum, "Road Song" is an ode to the significance of friendship and finding joy in the journey through life. The lyrics highlight how driving on quiet roads can bring a sense of solace amidst the chaos of everyday life, and they describe the significance of the people who join us on that journey.
Line by Line Meaning
How I love these roads
Expressing deep admiration for the roads
Every far and lonely highway,
Talking about how beautiful but also how isolated the highways are
Through basin and range
Describing how the highways go through and across various landscapes
And a desert that never ends-
Talking about how the desert seems to go on forever
A sky so wide
Commenting how vast the sky can be
You can feel your heart turn quiet,
The peace and serenity can be overwhelming
And then I listen
Describing how peaceful the roads can be
For the voices of my friends
Looking for the presence of friends who are not physically there
One rides in the summer wind beside me,
One friend is represented by the Summer wind driving with him
One flies with the stars
One friend is represented by the stars flying by
That set the wild night on fire,
Describing how beautiful the stars are at night
One runs close and steady as a river,
One friend is represented by the river's steadiness
I could drive for miles
Talking about how long and never-ending the roads are
Carried by that choir.
Being carried by their friends' presence and beauty
From the hills of my hometown,
Describing where they are coming from
To the Arizona canyons,
Describing their journey through Arizona
From Chinle to Sky City
Describing their journey through specific locations in Arizona
To the gorge of the Rio Grande-
Describing their journey by a specific river
The high and winding way
Describing how adventurous the journey is
From Chimayo to Las Trampas,
Describing their journey through specific places
The long road bends
Talking about the road's curves, which represent life's unpredictability
To the sweet sound of my friends.
Emphasizing the importance of friends on the journey
One's up where the clouds brush the mountains,
Describing how one friend is represented by the clouds brushing the mountains
One rushes down a stream
Describing how one friend is represented by the stream rushing by
Past the bright columbine -
Describing how they are passing through the flowers
Just thinking about them,
Reflecting on how the friends have impacted the journey
How I love the road
Affirming the love for the journey
And these true friends of mine.
Emphasizing the importance of true friends on the journey
Writer(s): Fernando Ortega Copyright: Margeedays Music, Dayspring Music LLC
Contributed by Bentley B. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Janice Bultman Bogott
on Into Your Presence
Is there anywhere I can get the sheet music for piano for this song? I just love it!!