Lying on his car in the parking lot of Rudy’s
The heat from the kitchen started messing with his head
The dinner crowd’s not in yet, it’s still so very early
As he stares off at a speck there in the sky
Chorus:
(He, She, You) want(s) to fly
Destination unimportant
Spread his wings like an angel and fly
Cause, we all got wings
That’s what (the boy/Ronda) tells (me/her)
We all got wings
The sky is getting dark above the parking lot of Rudy’s
The rain he’s lying under’s falling steady on his face
Above the clouds a jet trails off, his vision’s getting blurry
As he rubs the drops of rain from his eyes
Chorus
(Bridge)
Ronda’s waiting tables moving way too fast notice
Until every dish is dirty then she hits the backdoor screen
Hollering his name, yelling get yourself back in here
But it’s dark out and that boy’s nowhere to be seen
Ronda takes the trash out to the parking lot of Rudy’s
Two days of double shifts started messing with her feet
It’s so very late, she thinks of him, she worries
Then she shuffles off like someone left behind
Chorus
Now I’m standing in what used to be the parking lot of Rudy’s
Thirty years have swept that diner and Ronda clean away
But on the ruined air that rushes past me in a hurry
Ronda left me this message, Some things you can’t hold back even if you try, she says
Hiss Golden Messenger transforms from a solo songwriter to a full-band on a record benefiting Durham Public Schools. Bandcamp New & Notable Apr 9, 2020
This album speaks to the continuum of African diasporic culture that is central to the vibrant canon of Americana folk music. Bandcamp Album of the Day May 29, 2020