Here I Am
Mary Chapin Carpenter Lyrics

I'm a town in Carolina, I'm a detour on a ride
I am a small town in Carolina that people may pass through on their journey, taking a detour to explore my attractions.

For a phone call and a soda, I'm a blur from the driver's side
For drivers just passing by, I am just a small blip on the road, a place to make a quick stop for a phone call or soda.

I'm the last gas for an hour if you're going twenty-five
If you're driving through at a slower pace, I am the last place to get gas for miles.

I am Texaco and tobacco, I am dust you leave behind
I am associated with the presence of Texaco gas stations and the smell of tobacco. The dust that visitors leave behind reminds me of my continued existence regardless of their departure.

I am peaches in September, and corn from a roadside stall
During the harvest season, I am known for my fresh peaches, and roadside vendors sell fresh corn harvested from the local fields.

I'm the language of the natives, I'm a cadence and a drawl
The locals here speak with a drawling dialect that is distinct and unique to this region, as people with different dialects talk differently.

I'm the pines behind the graveyard, and the cool beneath their shade
Behind the graveyard are pines that provide shade, and the coolness beneath their branches provides respite from the sweltering heat.

Where the boys have left their beer cans, I am weeds between the graves.
In the graveyard, the boys have left their beer cans, and the weeds have grown around the graves, emphasizing the true life that is present within a place that is usually associated only with death.

My porches sag and lean with old black men and children
Many old black men and children sit on my porches, and the weight of them has caused them to sag and lean.

My sleep is filled with dreams, I never can fulfill them
I dream really big dreams of what I could be, but I never achieve them because of the limited resources that I have.

I am a church beside the highway where the ditches never drain
Next to the highway is a church, and due to the improper drainage, the ditches always remain filled with water.

I'm a Baptist like my daddy, and Jesus knows my name
I am a product of my father and our religion, following in his footsteps and sharing the same faith, which holds a place of great importance in our community.

I am memory and stillness, I am lonely in old age
I embody the collective memory of my inhabitants, as years have gone by, I have become still and lonely in my old age.

I am not your destination, I am clinging to my ways
I am not a place that many people would travel to intentionally, and instead, I am content holding onto my heritage and traditions.

I am a town in Carolina, I am billboards in the fields
I exist in the form of billboards, which stand among the fields that stretch far and wide.

I'm an old truck up on cinder blocks, missing all my wheels
I have old trucks that are elevated on cinder blocks, however, they don't have wheels attached to them.

I am Pabst Blue Ribbon, American, and "Southern Serves the South"
I'm known for being an American brewery 'Pabst Blue Ribbon', and my slogan is linked with southern hospitality which defines my culture.

I am tucked behind a Jaycees sign, on the rural route
I am nestled behind a sign on a rural route, easily missed by those who overlook the finer details of their surroundings.

I am a town
I am a place where people come together and make a community.

I am a town
I am a town that has a distinct sense of place and pride.

I am a town
I am a town that holds memories, culture, and tradition, and serves as a representation of its inhabitants.

Southbound.
Lastly, I lie on the southbound route providing a homely feel to the travelers on their journey.