About “The Bus”

…Yeah, yeah, we know, this is going to sound like you have heard it before – but what can we say? Originally, this was another one of those “jam” songs inspired by barley-pops and messing around one night. The band had been fooling around with some ideas based on American “root” music and this one kind of came tumbling out. In particular Roy, a fabulous older country guitar pickin’ gentleman from Helena, Montana inspired the guitar break and solo. The band met Roy while playing a benefit some time ago, and he absolutely blew their collective minds – hats off to you, you old cowboy! Like the title suggests, the lyrics are based around the theme of a bus that you get on only it goes nowhere… soon. Specifically, two beautiful women in Billy’s life inspired them (the lyrics that is) – one was just leaving, the other was just entering at a time when lyrics were called for. Hats off to them too!

THE BUS
Music by Toledo Kesch
Lyrics and lead vocal by Billy Nichols

On Thursday mornin’, or Monday Noon
I can’t remember, August or June?
But it was summer
Of that I’m sure
Red was the sunrise
Like pinot’s cure
Feelin’ surrounded, by those unknowns
I reversed the charges on the telephone
Blank is the canvass Picasso owns
‘Til with a heartbeat
Those brushes flow
Ole` and passé
They’re the couple down the hall
So texture visits fill and they summoned up this tune
We went out on the corner
To wait for the bus
To nowhere soon
Slackers and Queen-bees all came to town
Lovers and cynics, we gathered ‘round
When it was later, I had to go
Some corporate timeline had told me so
New York and Tulsa
They ain’t so different after all
We measure what we spill
‘Cause the sun begat the moon
So satisfied we hurry to wait for the bus
To nowhere soon

To Friday’s sickness I am immune
I gave up throwing rocks at the moon
But wisdom’s quandary is this lover’s chore
Your wine I’ve tasted
I’ll drink no more
So, goodnight it’s all right
We’re not the people we once knew
With locomotive courage, on Wednesday I’ll get through
A wink is like a nudge to a blind bat’s hoochie-coo
What tattletale is midnight when tomorrow’s overdue?
While we get out on the corner and wait for the bus
To nowhere soon