For some reason, this one came out much more “folky” sounding than usual. It’s about how I always want something that’s not quite here in front of me. Not like it’s bad to want something, but it gets exhausting when I’m always reaching and never happy where I am. “Once I sell my house, I’ll be happy.” “Once I make an album, I’ll be happy.” And in the meantime, I’m unhappy (although trying to distract myself).
At least, that’s what I think it’s about. What do you think?
—–
Sometimes I want to leave it all
And drive out to the countryside somewhere
And breathe the air
But I tend to lose track of things
I hardly have a minute left
That I can spare
I’m looking out for something here
Something I can do or say
To try to change
I spend my life looking hard
For something that’s just out of rangeAlone, I don’t think I’m alright
I toss and turn and roll around all night
It’s quite a sight
Sometimes cars pass by outside
I can tell which they’re going from the headlights
The lights, they go the other way
As the car is trying to go
I know that it seems strange
I spend my life looking hard
For something that’s just out of rangeI come back here to where you are
Looking up at all the stars
A thousand points of light and then some more
It never is enough, I know
That’s why it seems I always want to go
Right out the doorI’ll drive till I run out of gas
And leave the car out here beside the road
The traffic’s slowed
And maybe I’ll sit still a while
I’ll take my piece of pie
And eat it a la mode
‘Cause there’s too many little things
That I just can’t let be
I have to rearrange
I spend my life looking hard
For something that’s just out of range
—–
Boy, can I relate! Been coming across the whole school of thought lately that if you want to be happy, do the day to day things that make you happy and don’t put it off dependent on some external thing to happen first. Easier said than done (at least right now as it is new to me) but the concept is very freeing!
Totally. It can be freeing to just be aware of how much I’m looking to external things to make me happy. I think the awareness matters more than anything I actually do. I’m not certain how to attain happiness, but I can say with great confidence that it has not come from looking outside of myself.