Gospel Roads
The Americans Lyrics

Lift Him Up, That’s All
This is the core message of the song: to praise and uplift God.

He whistled as he filled his old suitcase
The singer's father was carefree and unconcerned while packing for his gospel road trips.

I threw my crutches in the trunk
The singer had faith in their father's teachings and believed in their ability to heal them, so they no longer needed crutches.

Sealed the oils, and packed it all away
The father was packing his essential oils for healing purposes and getting ready for their journey.

Every crossroad looked alike to me
As a child, the artist couldn't differentiate the many small and poor towns they drove through on their gospel road trips.

In the poor towns where we drove
The father and child traveled to underprivileged towns to help heal and uplift the residents with their gospel teachings.

Just a dusty country highway
The roads they traveled on were unpaved and dusty, symbolizing the humble nature of their gospel mission.

But my father called them gospel roads
To the father, these humble roads were the path to spreading the gospel message of healing and hope.

When he raised his voice
The father spoke in a powerful voice full of conviction and passion.

They'd fall silent as if called by name
The people in the towns they visited would be captivated and affected by the father's words, feeling like he was speaking directly to them.

He spoke of people long ago
The father would tell stories of people from biblical times as examples of faith and healing, to inspire the people they helped.

Living places far away
The people the father talked about came from far away lands, further emphasizing the exotic nature of his gospel message.

We'd shill them like the carnival
In a somewhat manipulative way, the father and child would pitch their gospel message to the townspeople as though they were trying to sell them something like at a carnival.

The old and the young
The father's message appealed to both young and old people in the towns they visited.

Turned their pockets inside-out
The townspeople gave generously to the father and child, believing that their gospel message was making a positive difference in their lives.

And blessed our hearts for doing what we'd done
The townspeople were grateful and appreciative of the father and child's healing and uplifting efforts.

We brightened up their faces
The father and child's presence and gospel message had a positive effect on the townspeople's mood and demeanor.

Once weary and forlorn
The townspeople were previously tired and unhappy before the father and child arrived to help.

They'd discover but a clever scheme
The townspeople weren't entirely sure if the father and child's gospel message was real or just a ploy to get their money.

Where visions of their hopeful dreams were born
Regardless of the townspeople's doubts, the father and child's message gave them hope for a better future.

I'd put my hand in his
The artist is trusting and admiring of their father and his gospel message.

When it was time to go
The father and child would eventually have to leave each town and move on to the next in their gospel journey.

We'd strike our tent and kick up dust
Before leaving each town, the father and child would pack up their tent and belongings, symbolizing the transient nature of their lifestyle.

All the way back up that gospel road
The father and child would travel back up the same gospel road they came from, ready to move on to the next town.

He'd sand down his brand new boots
The father would take good care of his appearance and look presentable while on their gospel road trips.

I'd read aloud his sermon
The singer would read the father's gospel sermons out loud for him during their trips.

We drove all the way to Arkansas
The father and child traveled far on their gospel journeys, even reaching as far as Arkansas.

On other people's money that we'd turned
The father and child's gospel message was successful in getting the townspeople to give them money to continue their journey and gospel mission.

My father used to warn them
Despite his message of hope and healing, the father was realistic about the potential issues that could arise from their gospel mission.

One day it will all fall apart
The father warned that their gospel journey may not always be easy and may eventually come to an end.

Now that I know it to be true
As an adult, the singer realizes the truth in their father's warning.

I wonder if, for once, he was speaking from his heart
The artist is questioning whether their father's warning was truly genuine or if it was just another part of his gospel message.

When the day came to bury him
The father eventually passed away and the artist had to come to terms with his loss.

I had a chance to start anew
With the father's passing, the artist had an opportunity to move on from their gospel journey and begin a new life.

But you stick to what you know
Despite the opportunity to start anew, the singer ends up following in their father's footsteps and continuing the gospel journey.

I took to his once I'd outgrown my Sunday suit
The artist embraced the father's gospel message and lifestyle as they grew up and matured.

I pulled up my grieving roots
The singer tries to move on from their grief and the death of their father by continuing the gospel journey.

Before they had a chance to grow
The singer doesn't allow themselves the opportunity to grieve properly and instead throws themselves back into the gospel journey.

I cut him from my memory
Despite their love and admiration for their father, the singer tries to forget him and move on from their past life.

And I drove east down some old gospel road
The artist continues their gospel journey, driving down an old road similar to the ones they traveled with their father.

The fire of greed burns so richly
The artist recognizes the greed present in their gospel mission and the potential for it to corrupt.

In the torches on the walls
The torches symbolize the greed and corruption within the gospel mission.

You can't take your eyes off it
Even though the singer recognizes the corrupt nature of their gospel mission, they can't help but be drawn to it.

Even as your castle falls
Despite the possibility of destruction and failure, the artist continues to pursue the gospel mission due to their greed.

I know my loving mother
The artist's mother was loving and kind, providing a stark contrast to the greed and corruption of their gospel mission.

Raised me better than that
The artist's mother instilled good morals and values in them, making them question their involvement in the corrupt gospel mission.

I used to wonder why she bothered
As a child, the singer didn't understand their mother's teachings and values, but now they have come to realize their importance.

The whole world looked so much brighter from where she sat
The artist's mother had a positive outlook on life, even though she lived in difficult circumstances. Her influence inspired the artist to pursue a more positive path.

At the table in the small room
The singer's mother would teach them her values at their family table.

At the end of the hall
The table was located at the end of the hallway in their small home.

Where I learned many a fable
The singer learned stories and parables from their mother at the table.

All to do with righteousness and law
The stories the artist learned from their mother were focused on justice, morality, and doing what is right.

I can't take my mind off it
The artist can't stop thinking about their mother's teachings and values.

When the nights end alone
The singer is left alone with their thoughts at night, causing them to reflect on their past and their values.

I see her face among the souls I sold
The singer regrets their involvement in the corrupt gospel mission and feels guilty for deceiving the people they sold their message to.

Into a heaven that I'll never know
The artist realizes that their involvement in the corrupt gospel mission will prevent them from reaching heaven and living a virtuous life.

Now when I drive down
As an adult, the artist continues to drive down gospel roads like they did with their father.

Those old gospel roads
The gospel roads symbolize the artist's past and their connection to their father and his message.

I feel closer to those tales of sin
As they continue to drive down the gospel roads, the singer begins to understand the dark and sinful nature of their past gospel mission.

I seldom understood, but often told
The artist was often uncertain or confused by their father's message, but they continued to spread it anyways due to their upbringing and influences.

Lift Him up, that’s all
The song ends with a repetition of the core message of the gospel mission: to lift up and praise God.

But the game's played out and every door's been boarded up along those gospel roads
Despite their continued involvement in the gospel mission, the singer realizes that it's all played out and that there's no future or hope left in it, indicating a possible willingness to change and seek a more positive path.