Come Home

"A Body of Work," no. 11 -- Hal's Personal Anthem

Hi! Welcome to “A Body of Work.” It’s the occasional Tuesday space here on “Living in a Body” where I dig deep into Hal history and pull out a musical gem. Be sure to click the links below to hear the song “Come Home.” I’m posting two versions. (circa 1995 and 2022) Please enjoy and share this post with a friend. Thank you!

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The Cuyahoga River

In 1994, I bought a one way bus ticket to Eugene Oregon from where I was living in Boston. Boston and New York hadn't worked out for me, so, lacking any better ideas, I figured I’d see what I was missing in the great Northwest. On the way west, I took a pitstop in Cleveland and I never got back on the bus. Within a few days of being home in Kent, I heard the call of the Cuyahoga River. I made the decision to stop searching for some "…perfectly cool community to make me perfectly happy." At the age of 28, I decided to come home to Kent and to stay.

Upon making this decision, I played a couple open 9th chords that I’d learned in Boston and I wrote this personal anthem of a song, “Come Home.” Upon first listen, it may sound like an overly sentimental song about the Cuyahoga River, but I hope you can hear the universal theme that runs beneath the surface. I don't know about you, but I've spent my life seeking happiness outside of myself -- always thinking that something out there or somewhere over there would do it for me.

"There's probably better coffee in Boston
And a community of artists in Austin
And there's a woman that's been waiting in Oregon
Maybe I could put my roots down in all of them." H. Walker

There may be better coffee in Boston and there very well may be a community of artists in Austin, but wherever I go, I'm gonna find myself waiting there for me. In the song, the old man standing by the river is me coming “face to face with the old man wisdom” — face to face with the chronic illness, the disappointments, the grief, the loss… and all the good stuff too. It’s me coming face to face with what is.

I've heard it spoken before in a derogatory manner that the Cuyahoga River has a magnetic pull that makes people get stuck here. I don’t believe it. I prefer to think that the river has called me home and how blessed I am to have a place to call my home. What more could I ask for than the four seasons, the Haymaker Farmer’s Market and the healing river running through town keeping the pulse alive.

Last week, I mustered up the strength to sing at the piano. It was a bit tenuous but it felt good. There were some very high notes that I didn't quite reach, but I heard sounds coming out of my mouth that I haven't heard it a while. I'm grateful for that. I find it fascinating to compare the 1995 recording of the song to the 2022 version. Back then, I could really open it up to the high notes. (listen to 2:24 in the Soundcloud link) Please let me know what you think in the comments. Thanks for listening. I’ll see you back here on Saturday for the next episode.

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Come Home

Old man standin’ by the river
Old man waits, he stays forever
He’s face to face with the old man wisdom
Old man remains in one place just to listen to the river.

So many far off cities callin’ out my name
Offer recognition and they promise fame
New friends and romance everything’ll change,
Maybe start a rock band

So many far off mountains callin’ out my name
Offer peace of mind and the cool clean rain
New friends and romance everything’ll change
What if it’s my last chance?

“Come home” says the river,
There’s no more time for wandering from city to city
looking for the perfectly cool community
to make me perfectly happy...
come home says the river time to lay down your broken body
by the banks of the beautiful Cuyahoga River....

There’s probably better coffee in Boston
And a commmunity of artists in Austin
And there’s a woman that’s been waiting in Oregon
Maybe I could put my roots down in all of them.

So I move to Washington to find my body
And then Colorado try to free my body
And back to new York, maybe sell my body
And then walk to the desert try to save my body.

Well, now I’m swimmin’ in the healing waters of the broken river, 
I’m waiting to deliver my open body
to the Cuyahoga river fall asleep in the water
cause it might take forever and always I will have faith and I’ll stay

Come home says the river
there’s no more time for wandering
from city to city looking for the perfectly cool community
to make me perfectly happy...
come home says the river time to lay down your broken body
by the banks of the beautiful Cuyahoga River....

Old man standin’ by the river
Old man waits, he stays forever
He’s face to face with the old man wisdom
Old man remains in one place just to listen to the river.

Come home. Come home and stay.
Stay.