I’ve been asking myself a lot of questions lately. Many of my friends and relatives including myself are entering the final stretch of life, however long that may be. Some people already have a template for living out their years. I write songs.

I think this song is a bag full of question marks. It may be asking questions you would ask yourself. I had a favourite music professor and mentor who ended each class with “Any questions? Any Answers?”

Although I do wonder about the myriad paths I have taken in life, I am not as immersed in doubt and ambivalence as I used to be. I’m fully engaged with living and making the most of my time and creative energy remaining. I also attempted to put myself in the shoes of someone I love dearly who now has memory issues and sad resignation.

The musical spark was just a simple country feel while fooling around on my beautiful Greenfield guitar. The song came out as a slow groove (I IV and V chords), and the initial lyrical ideas were from a memory of a jingle I heard as a little boy. (“You wonder where the yellow went when you brush your teeth with Pepsodent”). I loosely reference the Bacharach/David lyric “what’s it all about, Alfie?” from the 1960’s where many of my fondest memories are from.

My song is six minutes long. Too long for a pop song, so what? I am not popular….. Think of it as an accompaniment to a cup of tea or a quiet time looking out the window. An oasis and rest stop.

I Wonder

I wonder where the wonder went
More miles travelled, they came and went
Our Wonder years already spent
Wondering what anything meant
-Oh-oh-I wonder

I wonder Who I was meant to be
If I’ve seen all that I was meant to see
Or was it all just fantasy
I wonder if I’m really me
-oh-oh-I wonder

I wonder what this is all about
If anybody anywhere could have Bailed me out
If I ever bought in, Or did I drop out
Hey, Alfie, what’s it all about

I wonder when I can feel it again
If I’ll ever be relieved from residual pain 
If I ever figure out what’s been Driving me insane
And Where I’ll get off this runaway train

I wonder where my my serenity went
The worries in my head should be paying me rent
All of my joy has already been spent
I wonder where everybody went
Oh, oh, I wonder

I wonder why things turned out like they did
Some things in the open, some things hid
I wonder Was my offer the winning bid
I wonder if it’ll be the same for my kids

I wonder how I’m going to cope with these things now
If I’m going to have a smile or a furrowed brow
I wonder where I’m going to point my prow
Am I going to take everything that life will allow

I wonder why this all seems so strange
Why all of my targets are out of range
I wonder if I’m Willing to Change
Pretty sure something can be arranged