Gentle on My Mind Songtext
von Mark Eitzel

It′s knowing that your door is always
Open and your path is free to walk
That tends to make me leave my sleeping
Bag rolled up and stashed behind your couch
It's knowing I′m not shackled by forgotten words and bonds
And by ink stains that have dried upon some lines
That keeps you in the back roads by the rivers of my memory
That keeps you ever gentle on my mind


It's not clinging to the rocks and ivy
Planted on their columns now that bind me
Or something that somebody said because
They thought we fit together walking
It's just knowing that the world will not be cursing or forgiving
When I walk along some railroad track and find
That you′re moving in the back roads by the rivers of my memory
And for hours you′re just gentle on my mind

Though the wheat fields and the clotheslines and
The junkyards and the highways come between us
And some other woman crying to her
Mother 'cause she turned and I was gone
I might still run in silence, tears of joy might stain my face
And a summer sun might burn me ′til I'm blind
Oh, but not to where I cannot see you walking on the back roads
By the rivers flowing gentle on my mind


Now I dip my cup of soup back from the gurgling
Crackling cauldron in some train yard
My beard rough as a coal pile and a
Dirty hat pulled low across my face
Through cupped hands ′round a tin can I'll
Pretend I′ll hold you to my heart and find
That you're waving from the back roads by the rivers of my memory
And I smile and ever gentle on my mind