Stairway to Nowhere
This summer I went to a singing camp on Gambier Island. I stayed in a big teepee, and strangely, just outside my teepee was a cement stairway. Just a stairway, and nothing attached to it. It had four or five steps, and people would sit on the steps and read or play their guitar. It was strange. Just a lone cement stairway.
Hmmm, I thought that it would be interesting to write a song about the stairway. I created a story about the stairs and the house that I imagined once standing there, the family that lived there, the lives that were lived, and finally, how everyone had to move away and the house had to be demolished.
While waiting for an appointment to see Dr. Mainra (who was very late), the respirologist at Lion's Gate Hospital, I edited and finished the lyrics, as well as lyrics to three other songs.
"Stairway to Nowhere" reminded me of "Stairway to Heaven" and I tried to work in a reference, either melodically or through the words, but it didn't really work. Perhaps "stairway to nowhere" is enough of a reference. I looked up the lyrics to "Stairway to Heaven". Wow, what does all that mean? Rather abstract, but interesting lyrics.
Piano in E
Stairway to Nowhere
Stairway to nowhere, alone in the field
Imagine the house that once used to be
I see it there, it's standing so tall
Holding a family in its four strong walls, in its four strong walls.
Maybe they were farmers, living on the land
Strong songs and daughters lending a hand
All of life lived, with love and with fears
So many memories of laughter and tears, of laughter and tears.
Years passed by years, less children were born
The call of the city, and heartstrings were torn
One by a few more they all moved away
Farm life was failing, they just couldn't stay, no they just couldn't stay.
Times they do change, and fortunes do to
The fate of the house, someone had to choose
Torn down, demolished, now gone to its grave
Old cement stairway is all that was saved, is all that was saved.
Now the stairway to nowhere is standing alone
Stairway to nowhere, cause no one is home, no one is home.
Now the stairway to nowhere is standing alone
Stairway to nowhere, cause no one is home, no one is home.
