Cartwheels
Vonda Shepard Lyrics

Oh mama we'd sail away
The singer reminisces about the times they would run away with their mother.

Doing cartwheels on the front lawn everyday
The singer and their mother would play and do cartwheels on the front lawn every day.

And you'd sing "Here Comes The Sun"
The mother would sing the song "Here Comes The Sun" during their playful moments.

Then we'd dance together
The artist and their mother would dance together.

I thought it would last forever
The artist used to think that those moments with their mother would never end.

I see my life fly on by
The singer reflects on the speed at which their life has passed by.

Like a soldier in the rain
The singer feels like they have faced many hardships in life like a soldier in battle.

With a shining road ahead of me
Despite the hardships, the artist sees a bright future ahead of them.

For once in my life I want to be happy
The artist desires to experience true happiness in their life.

Stop running from my memories
The artist wants to confront and embrace their past memories rather than running away from them.

Being on the road sets me free... but sometimes
Although being on the road gives the singer a sense of freedom, there are times when they want to go back home.

I want to come back home
The artist desires to return to their childhood home.

I want to hear your voice say to me
The singer is longing to hear their mother's voice again.

Be yourself, 'cause that's all that matters baby
The mother always encouraged the singer to be themselves and that's what truly matters.

Oh mama you'd carry me away
The mother used to carry the singer away to fun places like rooftops and high trees.

On the rooftops and in the high trees
The mother and speaker used to dream and play on rooftops and high trees.

That's where I used to dream
The artist used to dream big while playing with their mother on the rooftops and high trees.

I'd close my eyes and hear you sing
The singer would close their eyes and listen to their mother sing.

"Blackbird in the dead of night"
The mother used to sing the song "Blackbird" to the singer.

I see your life fly on by
The artist sees their mother's life passing by quickly.

Mama don't you be afraid
The artist reassures their mother not to be afraid of anything.

Look at all the love that you have made
The artist acknowledges all the love that their mother has given.

Oh mama you want us to forgive you
The mother desires for forgiveness from the singer for something she did.

But you did nothing wrong
The artist reassures their mother that she did nothing wrong and that they love her.

You followed your road for so long...that sometimes
The mother followed her own path for a long time and now she desires to come back home as well.

You want to come back home
The mother also desires to return back to their childhood home.

You want it all to be the way it was
The mother wishes for everything to be the way it used to be in the past.

Shaynamaidala, doing cartwheels on the lawn
The artist remembers doing cartwheels on the lawn with their mother while chanting nonsensical words.

All the planes are out tonight
The artist notices that many planes are flying in the night sky.

I see them flying, lighting up the sky
The planes look like they are lighting up the sky and making it more beautiful.