A place that’s clean and green and pretty, and they went and made a city out of clay. Why, the minute that you get there, folks’ll walk right up and say “Welcome home, son, welcome home to Santa Fe.” Planting crops, splitting rails, swapping tales around the fire, ‘xcept for Sunday when you lie around all day. Soon, your friends are more like family, and they’s beggin’ you to stay! Ain’t that neat? Livin’ sweet in Santa Fe.

Let me go far away, somewhere they won’t never find me, an’ tomorrow won’t remind me of today. And the city’s finally sleepin’, and the moon looks old and grey, and I get on the train that’s bound for Santa Fe. And I’m gone! And I’m done! No more runnin’, no more lyin’. No more fat old men denyin’ me my pay! Just a moon so big and yellow, it turns night right into day! Dreams come true! Yeah…they do. In Santa Fe. Where does it say you gotta live and die here?! Where does it say a guy can’t catch a break?! Why should you only take whatcha given?! Why should you spend your whole life livin’ trapped where there ain’t no future, even at 17? Breaking your back for someone else’s sake! If the life don’t seem to suit ya, how ‘bout a change of scene? Far from the lousy headlines and the deadlines in between! Santa Fe, my old friend! I can’t spend my whole life dreamin’, though I know that’s all I seem inclined to do. I ain’t gettin’ any youngah, an’ I wanna start brand new! I need space! An’ fresh air! Let ‘em laugh in my face, I don’t care! Save my place!…I’ll be there. Just be real, is all I’m askin’. Not some paintin’ in my head. ‘Cause I’m dead if I can’t count on you today. I got nothin’ if I ain’t got Santa FEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!

by DE WOILD IS YER ERSTER March 6, 2025

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