Feb 2022
Sometimes you're in the forefront
other days it's the middle of the road
stay out of the gutter
lord knows I've been that low
Don't look down on those behind you
unless you're pulling them on ahead
none of us have gotten there yet
Life's not a road, it's a branch on a tree
not one straight line, so why should you be?
follow your branch where it leads
Ever since you were a sapling
how I love to watch you grow
every time you change direction
every time you're better than before
I don't have many answers
but I can give you one
figure out where your light is coming from
Sometimes the wind is howling
you can bend or you can break
sometimes you'll hit a dry spell
and sometimes it's endless rain
In the coldest winter
when it feels like seasons never change
suddenly the first sign of spring
Life's not a road, it's a branch on a tree
not one straight line, so why should you be?
follow your branch where it leads
@elainedimasi Mar 2022
Inspired with autumnal intensity and beauty. I love how full of imperative it is, too. That aspect of it contributes to bough-strong and yet still branch-flexible, I think.
@deafsteever Feb 2022
Beautiful song. Perfectly sung. Poignant lyrics. Such a great, sincere vocal sound. I love the sparseness of the track, too. Just guitar and vocal - anything more (added vocals or instrumentation) would detract from the song's power, I think. The stripped-down format sooooo emphasizes the emotion and beauty of your singing. Thanks so much for sharing with us!
@shadywilbury Feb 2022
Great song, Phil. Love that second verse in particular.
@mikegtz Feb 2022
Just about a perfect song, Phil. Complex, poetic, beautiful.
@bethkille Feb 2022
Stunning. Lovely all around.
@jsini Feb 2022
Life’s not a road… wonderful. You performance is done expertly. Great writing.
@oaksnprairie Feb 2022
I love the analogy of life as a branch on a tree, and figuring out where our light is coming from. Nice understated guitar, very effective.
@danvaillancourt Feb 2022
Great tune! Glad you are here again. Hope to hear more. Great performance. Nice!
@debs Feb 2022
Hearing you again feels like coming home. I needed to hear this one.
@vaughan Feb 2022
Very phil-osophical ! I've been pondering these very thoughts a lot lately. Love it!!
@hbusse Feb 2022
Really effective central image here- great songwriting and heartfelt delivery!
@isaacq Feb 2022
will never get tired of that warm moment when you first hear Phil Norman begin to sing. i just came off listening to a couple other demos dealing with unthinkable subject matter and trying to fathom moving forward. and here you are with the voice of comfort and wisdom to remind your listeners it doesn't all make sense and it never will, but there is beauty and there is hope.
@klyma Feb 2022
Interesting device to use all the road references in the first verse and then lay it out in the chorus that life's not a road. I like watching saplings like us grow and change direction, too. That chorus is strong, like an oak. Good to hear you, my friend.
@nuchoyce Feb 2022
This is a special type of writing in my opinion. Story telling and using nature! Amazing pen!
@psyt Feb 2022
Hey Phil, good to hear you participating again, and this song is perfectly recorded, performed, and pretty much perfectly everything. Great great emotional expression in the vocals (particularly in the Endless Rain section). Fantastic job. Easily a keeper.
@chrisshepard Feb 2022
I was wondering when you would show up! Really, really good lyrically and with your usual heartfelt delivery and clear acoustic sound. Rather good start to this year, I would say!
@mikedebenham Feb 2022
All this feels true to me. Having you sing it means it's beautiful too. So: truth and beauty. Not too shabby, Phil.
@gm7 Feb 2022
Just a great guitar and vocal performance. I see you sitting on a stool doing this..Nice.
@jdschramm Feb 2022
Great to hear you again :) Beautiful song and sentiment as usual!
@tukayandryan Feb 2022
So lovely to hear you again. Fabulous imagery and an awesome delivery as always. :)
@theicylakes Feb 2022
Lovely song and performance! I enjoyed listening to that!
@nancyrost Feb 2022
So good to hear you again. I like the organic metaphor, and even more, the feeling you put into it.
@kenmattsson Feb 2022
The performance here caught me immediately. Your singing and playing sucked me into the song, and then I paid attention to the lyrics, which are pretty awesome. Love the branch/road analogy.
Your voice on the bridge ran right through me. Wow.
@philhenry Feb 2022
Welcome back, Phi! This is a beautiful metaphor, delivered passionately. Well done!