The Good Road was originally written in 1988 and performed live during the late 1980s and mid 1990s when I was heading the underground alternative band 9-DAZE, not to be confused with any current band by the same name.
It is a little more upbeat than Earth Abides and No Time To Run with a deceptively simple message and a country-rock flavor.
Superficially, The Good Road carries a very simple message. Just be a good person. But what does that really mean? The lyrics offer some clues. Do the right thing even if it's not as easy as the alternatives, be a positive role model for young people, and do what we can to help others less fortunate.
Going a little bit deeper, the symbolism of the road as a path toward righteousness dates back to ancient times. Several Bible passages allude to highways that lead to salvation. There is also the enduring mythology of the crossroads, which is a place between realms where paranormal events can occur.
Goodness has also been the subject of philosophers dating all the way back to ancient Greece. For Aristotle, the good is that which moves all things towards the fulfillment of their nature. Philosopher Thomas Aquinas correlated goodness with truth, and if there is anything of value in The Good Road, it's that it relays truths.
Truths can be very controversial, but whatever the case, truth about a situation cannot exist without some criteria, that if not met, would make it false. Therefore there is always a dividing line, and that line is symbolized in various ways by the road. Most of us have heard the expression, "Keep to the straight and narrow." or "Take the road less traveled."
Among other things, the road less traveled symbolizes independent thought and freedom from conformity. So this song can be as simple or deep as the listener's capacity to reflect on the nature of good and evil.
You Can Help Make The Video
For the upcoming video, I'm crowdsourcing video clips and other imagery portraying acts of kindness, bravery, and other positive things. It can be as simple as a photo of a child holding a door for a grandparent, or as complex as a segment from an original dance performance. If you have anything that fits, please get in touch. Your photo or video clip could be in the video!
Lyrics
Tell me what do you see?
Is this the road you wanna travel?
Will it set you free?
Are you looking for adventure?
Are you looking for a pot of gold?
Or do you just wanna take it easy?
Watch yourself grow old?
even if it don't look easy
Take the good road
Now don't waste your time
Take the good road
Even if it don't look easy
Take the good road
Now you gotta walk that line
It's a thin one
who are lost and lonely
Only ask 'em what they're doin'
They don't know
If someone could take the time
the time to show them
Even they got a way to go
even if it don't look easy
Take the good road
Now don't waste your time
Take the good road
Even if it don't look easy
Take the good road
Now you gotta walk that line
It's a thin one
Kinda like a state of mind
What are they worth?
They're our future and they gotta come first
We gotta show them where we went astray
let them know that together
we can change this world someday
We gotta point them in the right direction
Give 'em our love now and our affection
So that when they grow up and we get old
They'll have some words of wisdom
For the kids of their own
WORDS & MUSIC, VOCALS, ARRANGEMENTS, INSTRUMENTS, RECORDING
ENGINEERING, PRODUCTION, ARTWORK & PUBLISHING
WEBSITE DESIGN & CONSTRUCTION
BY J. RANDALL MURPHY
