Wings
John St. John Lyrics

I am the elder Utah Smith
I, Utah Smith, am an experienced elder who has lived a long and meaningful life.

I've got two wings to fly
I have the ability to fly, to soar above life's troubles and obstacles.

They may be made of paper
My wings, however, may not be strong enough to carry me very high, and may even seem fragile.

They may never reach the sky
My wings, as they are, might not ever take me as high as I would like to go.

But I believe in mercy
Regardless of the limitations of my wings, I have faith in the power of forgiveness and compassion.

I believe that man is good
I have faith in the basic goodness of human nature, and the potential that every person has to do great things.

And if they want two wings like me
If other people desire to fly like me, they have the potential to do so.

There's a chance they could
Through hard work and a positive attitude, anyone has the possibility to achieve their dreams.

I was born in Cedar Grove
I was raised in the small town of Cedar Grove, Louisiana.

That's in Louisiana
Cedar Grove is located within the state of Louisiana.

On a dirt-poor stretch of road
The place where I was born and raised was not wealthy or prosperous, but rather humble and unassuming.

I found the calling early
At a young age, I sensed that I had a special purpose in life, a vocation or mission to fulfill.

Gave birth to righteous words
Through my experiences and teachings, I developed a sense of morality and justice that I wished to share with others.

And in a tent around the South
To spread my message and speak to as many people as possible, I traveled widely throughout the South, often setting up tents as makeshift churches.

I took my sonic church
Using the power of music and the spoken word, I created a transformative experience for my listeners that I referred to as a 'sonic church.'

Love was my redeemer
In my eyes, the power and importance of love were the keys to salvation and redemption.

I felt it from the start
I always had a deep sense of connection to the emotion of love and its power to guide and heal.

The Holy ghost was channeled through the sound of my guitar
I believed that the spirit of God was present within me and that, by playing my guitar and singing, I was able to channel this divine energy to others.

Been a long time in the ground
I have been deceased and buried for a significant period of time.

Unmarked is my grave
There is no headstone or marker to indicate where I am buried.

But I reside elsewhere these days
Despite my physical absence, I continue to exist in some form or another, perhaps as a spiritual presence.

Thanks to souls I've saved
I am grateful to those whom I have helped and who have been touched by my teachings, as they have allowed me to continue to live on in some way.

I traveled far, I traveled wide
Throughout my life, I journeyed across great distances and reached people from many different places and backgrounds.

Three quarts for the Lord
I gave generously of myself to my faith, devoting my energy and resources to spreading the word of God.

Till one day he called me home
At some point, I received a spiritual call to return to my maker, to depart from this world and move on to the next.

To claim his great reward
Upon my death, I was given a reward or recognition by God for my life's work and devotion.