The Power of Song – The Endless Mile, by Bruce Baker

sketch by Peter Wieben

The Endless Mile is a song written by Julie Snow – “Here came a wanderer, a woman with no name, she said ‘I only have one question, am I crazy or sane.’” I enjoy singing this song, but this morning it was different.

I ride the bus and walk the streets of downtown Seattle saying HI to my normal familiar faces today.  But a mere 50 feet from my office, I encounter a woman, stoned out of her mind, laying out expletives and doing a dance in the 60 degree morning.  I am reminded of the song “The Endless Mile.”  I realize that I have a calling that reached out to me at that time.  I ask her if I can walk her to a nearby shelter.  Expecting no, she says yes. So we turn about and walk almost a half mile to the YWCA.  We talk, she dances on the way.  People look in puzzlement trying to understand how these two so different people found a path together.  It was not an easy walk.   She was not accustomed to any show of kindness, and I cautioned her of glass some places with her bare feet.

At the shelter, as I looked at the faces of the faceless there, I wished I had a guitar instead of a briefcase, able to give them a moment’s comfort in a world that wants them to be consigned to be mere statistics … Bruce Baker

Post note from Julie Snow: “Every time a song I’ve written reaches someone on a personal level, it enriches my life as well”.

The Endless Mile
written by Julie Snow, sung by Lui Collins

Here came a wanderer, a woman with no name, she said
“I only have one question, am I crazy or sane
To look for love more binding than the moon’s pull on me
So I can stop all this wandering, set my poor soul free.”
“Oh this may not make sense to you,”  she said, and then she cried
“Oh there is no darker prison than the endless mile.”

To fly, though your wings are tired
Run, though your heart is crying
Somebody hold me close by the fire
There’s no darker prison than the endless mile.
No darker prison than the endless mile.

Love has touched me many times, I’ve never lived alone
But like a stranger in a dream I could not hold on.
Slip away like a sunny day when the clouds come rolling in
Then run like hell from the hurricane, seek shelter within.

And fly, though my wings were tired
Run, though my heart was crying
Somebody hold me close by the fire
There’s no darker prison than the endless mile

2 thoughts on “The Power of Song – The Endless Mile, by Bruce Baker”

    1. Beautiful story and beautiful song. One I have loved for many years, ever since I misheard the lyrics as “there’s no darker prison than the endless smile”. How wonderful that it moved you to go out of your way to do something so kind for a stranger. Your actions made the lyrics even more meaningful.

Leave a Reply to Bob Nelson Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published.