The Palms

The Lyrics

I like story songs. And I love a parade. There is great drama in a parade. You stand on the curb and wait excitedly for it to come. Whatever ‘it’ is – it could be your daughter playing the piccolo or your high school marching band or the queen of the day waving in the back seat of a convertible. It’s proceeded by bands and clowns and majorettes and often followed by the same. You stand on the curb and await the big moment as the excitement ratchets up. You crane your neck in anticipation of the big moment.

And then it’s there! And the tears come to your eyes, and hope is restored and somehow the wait always pays off in a laugh or a ‘wow’ or a splash of pride.

And then it passes by and continues on its journey. And you wish you could prolong the moment, but you can’t. It’s the very nature of the parade. It gives you a taste, but for a moment. Sometimes you can run along with it for a moment or two trying to prolong it, but usually, by then, it’s over. The crowds are too much and ‘it’ moves on down the road to another place in time. The Music

Cut to another story: I was in Santa Monica at my partner’s office. He had to go to a meeting and left me in the office finishing up some work. I was to wait for him to return. I finished my work and with nothing to do, pulled his old guitar down off the wall, dusted it off, tuned its woefully out of tune strings and began to fiddle. Suddenly out popped a fully formed song – verse and chorus. It was born so fast, I knew it to be a gift from God emailed in His inimitable fashion. He was saying, “Here’s one for ya’, Pete”.

How to remember it? I had no music paper, no tape recorder, 3000 miles from my studio and there was so much of it and it was so complete that already I began to feel it fading away in memory. I played it through again and thought, “I’ll just keep playing it over and over until I memorize it. But then my brain started to get in the way and I started considering other chord substitutions and alternate melodies and I thought, “Oh no, now I’m really going to lose it!”

Suddenly He gave me another great idea! I walked over to the phone, dialed home in NYC and calmly sang the song into my answer machine leaving explicit directions to my wife not to erase this message.

When I got back to NYC I relearned the song off the answer machine. There was a melody and the chord progression, but no lyrics. Since the song was so obviously a gift, I knew it would have to be a sacred song.

The Palms

On the way to Jerusalem
Thousands gathered to watch him go by
On the way to Jerusalem
There on the road
He carried the load of this world
As the colt carried him on his back
Colt and rider
Colt and rider
Colt and rider
On the dusty road

These are the palms of peace
Given in these times of strife
These are the palms we gathered
Thanking you for your life

These are the palms of joy
Given in these times of trial
These are the palms of homage
Bearing you mile to mile

So lay down the palms
Make the earth clean and pure
Lay down the palms
Comes now the Christ
Comes now the cure

These are the palms of dreams
Given in these times of doubt
These are the gifts we bring you
For casting the shadows out

Colt and rider
Hosanna in the highest
Colt and rider
Hosanna in the highest
Colt and rider
Hosanna Hosanna Hosanna Hosanna
On the dusty road

Hosanna Hosanna Hosanna Hosanna
Hosanna Hosanna Hosanna Hosanna

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

For more inspiring music you can download
and information about Peter Link, please visit Watchfire Music.