The first of the older songs and a real flailer of an acoustic guitar piece (as in: the picking style of the guitar line is stolen from “frailing” style banjo picking). When I play this as a solo acoustic song, I play all the guitar solos while playing the rhythm parts. I knew I wanted to start the song that way, no matter what I did with it from there. The hardest part of translating this to a fuller arrangement was trying to play JUST the lead line (on the electric, this time) and not have my thumb playing the chord lines. It was quite funny the first time I tried it.

Many years ago, a friend of mine from Hong Kong described looking out at his city as looking ‘like trees with leaves of lights.’ That always stuck with me and was the forest of lights was the starting point for the tune.

The Lesson Learned

Would you go to Helsinki
Would you go to St Paul
Your nose to the stone
Your back to the wall
Keep on running till you leave the dark behind

Would you go to Las Vegas
Just to see the lights
There’ll be dinner for Breakfast
And Champagne nights

So set your goals
Just to wait your turn
Tip your hat to the lesson learned
A tale of woe
The skies grow grey
But you’ll be back for another day

Would you go to Columbus
Would you go to Hong Kong
In a forest of lights
You’ll be lost in the throng

Would you go to the Missoula
Where the air flows free
Up at the summit
Down on your knees
Keep on running till you leave the dark behind

You climb your peak 
And your lungs just burn
Tip your hat to the lesson learned
A tale of woe
The skies grow grey
You’ll be back for another day

Would you go to the Arctic
Just to see the lights
It’s colder than hell up there
So wrap up tight
Keep on running till you leave the dark behind

Could you go anywhere
And really want to be
Could you take the sights
You might need to see

Guard your words
Till you sing your song
The heart is light till the day is long
A tale of woe
But some greys fade
You’ll be here for another day and stay.