Jubilee Mary Chapin Carpenter

I can tell by the way you're walking That you don't want company I'll let you alone and I'll let you walk on And in your own good time you'll be Back where the sun can find you Under the wise wishing tree And with all of them made we'll lie under the shade And call it a jubilee.

And I can tell by the way you're talking That the past isn't letting you go But there's only so long you can take it all on And then the wrong's gotta be on its own And when you're ready to leave it behind you You'll look back, and all that you'll see Is the wreckage and rust that you left in the dust On your way to the jubilee.

And I can tell by the way you're listening That you're still expecting to hear Your name being called like a summons to all Who have failed to account for their doubts and their fears They can't add up to much without you And so if it were just up to me I'd take hold of your hand, saying come hear the band Play your song at the jubilee.

And I can tell by the way you're searching For something you can't even name That you haven't been able to come to the table Simply glad that you came And when you feel like this try to imagine That we're all like frail boats on the sea Just scanning the night for that great guiding light Announcing the jubilee

And I can tell by the way you're standing With your eyes filling with tears That it's habit alone keeps you turning for home Even though your home is right here Where the people who love you are gathered Under the wise wishing tree May we all be considered then straight on delivered Down to the jubilee . 'Cause the people who love you are waiting And they'll wait just as long as need be When we look back and say those were halcyon days We're talking 'bout jubilee.

Have you ever wanted to direct a music video?  This song made me want to make one - I get this story of a man who somehow has never succeeded in enjoying his successes, focusing all of his emotional energy instead on the failures, and disappointments.  Even his greatest achievements are not moments to savor and enjoy but to moments in which to think about all the people who told him he would never amount to anything. We may not feel jubilant all the time.  But we can make a decision to appreciate the many good things in our lives, and accept that some bad things are bound to happen.  But while we can't control all of the events in our lives, we can control how we react to them.

Mary Chapin Carpenter page

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