The year my wife and I married was the year that Barack Obama was elected for his first term as President. I had already voted for him for Senate (and my guitar case had, among other things, an Obama for Senate sticker proudly displayed), so it felt oddly personal.
We lived below the University of Mary Washington at the time and, after watching the election results come in and the election get called sometime well past midnight, relieved and excited for what this could mean for the future – for our future that we were rushing into as newlyweds, we walked up the hill and strolled around campus. It was alive with shouts of joy, with people singing and dancing, with students just running from one building to another with the sheer overabundance of energy and excitement that hope and belief can bring.
It is still one of my fondest memories.
This song isn’t about that.
This song is about that same night, eight years later.
Waiting for the World to Change
The winter’s come on gray and cool
Shadows lengthen from the flag pole at the school
The polling’s over returns come in
We watch our country throw its future to the wind
I’m down here waiting for the winds to change
It’s gotta come in time
I’ll keep one eye on the weather vane
You grab the bottle of wine
While I’m down here waiting for the world to end
Let’s get drunk and sing the blues
Cuz I can’t think of anyone I’d rather be with than you
So winter goes on and the news is read
From online papers drinking coffee warm in bed
And heads are shaken until belief is too
Cuz it’s hard to imagine that we’re anything but screwed
I’m down here waiting for the winds to change
It’s gotta come in time
I’ll keep one eye on the weather vane
You grab the bottle of wine
While I’m down here waiting for the world to end
Let’s get drunk and sing the blues
Cuz I can’t think of anyone I’d rather be with than you
Just down here waiting for the world to end
But maybe not tonight
We’ll pay our money to the old white men
And get ready for a fight
While I’m down here waiting for the world to change
Till it’s shiny and it’s new
I can’t think of anyone I’d rather be with than you.