St. Joe

A rainy Tuesday mornin’ in St. Joe
The teams were hitched and all was set to go.
The water stood upon the furrowed fields.
The mud was like molasses on the wheels

There were pilgrims from a dozen different lands
All put their fates within Our Father’s hands.
The promise of a new life in the west
A place where all our hopes and dreams are blessed.

On and on we go,
What awaits us heaven knows,
The rivers and the mountains and the snows.
But if our luck should hold, our futures will unfold
A long way from this mornin’ in St. Joe.

The seconds turn to hours as they pass
And we inch our way across this sea of grass.
They tell us we can make 10 miles today
We’ve nothin’ but our faith to pave the way.

But on and on we go,
What awaits us heaven knows,
The rivers and the mountains and the snows.
But if our luck should hold, our futures will unfold
A long way from this mornin’ in St. Joe.

Crossin’ the plains on the edge of a drought
You only take what you can’t live without
With every day and with each passing mile
You start to think that you might sell your soul ...for a drink.

When you see the waterfall down by the Devil’s Gate
You’ll swear your thirst is gone
But it’s just another test, the trail continues west
And the hardships we’ve known go on and on.

A windy Wednesday morning in St. Joe
Another train of wagons set to roll.
I see the dust a-dancin’ up the trail.
I wish we’d had that wind to feed our sails.

There’s Sean and pretty Molly over there
Her eyes are green and fire is in her hair.
And Gus and Gertrude just signed on today.
They say she’s got a baby on the way.

So on and on they go,
What awaits ’em heaven knows,
The rivers and the mountains and the snows.
But if their luck should hold, what stories will be told
A long way from this mornin’ in St. Joe.
A long way from this mornin’ in St. Joe.

Dan Modlin(Gold in the Strings Music/ASCAP) and Dave Scott(Rascal King Music /SESAC)