Lay for the Day 23rd February

The feast day of St Willigis, born in Schöningen and died in Mainz, Germany, in 1011. He rose from humble beginnings to be one of the most influential men in Europe. He is the patron saint of wheelwrights, since that was his father’s trade, and of carters – for whom, in the 21st century, read truckers.

A lyric from The Children’s second album, Come Aboard.

Hitchhiker’s Guide

I’ve been standing on the gravel,
I’ve been waiting for a ride.
Time to see this world unravel,
But all I’ve seen is this roadside.
Lady, I can feel you coming
In your Rolls-Royce or your Daimler-Benz,
Skirt short and your wheelbase long.
I just know that we’ll be friends.

I worked hard and it got me nowhere.
I worked less and let things slide.
In the end you get to wonder
How much time you’ve got to bide.
Lady, I can feel you coming.
Your stereo plays ‘Time Is Tight’.
I can feel the motor drum
A long black car that shines like night.

Now the moon’s on the service station
And my thumb is turning blue.
There must be someone in creation
Who wants to take me a mile or two.
Thank you, thank you, Mr Trucker.
My, your cab is warm and fine.
You pick any conversation,
I’ll be glad to pass the time.

Let your eighteen-wheeler rumble
Till the morning sky turns red.
Maybe we’ll catch that woman.
I know she’s up ahead.
Lady, I can see the tail-lights
Of the long black car you drive.
See me when it gets to daylight.
I’ll be there when you arrive.

Lady, I can feel you coming.
Your stereo plays ‘Time Is Tight’.
I can feel the motor drum
A long black car that shines like night.

Words and music by The Children

The Lay Reader: an archive of the poetic calendar