i have always been drawn to colorado- from the first starry night when i was 16 on the top of my dad's motor home in the rockies where i understood the word milky way- to my last trip to boulder 2 weeks ago -

i always expect magic; i always receive magic from colorado

the song "colorado" on my new cd, a crooked road, is a snap-shot telling of a 2-week visit, quest & camping trip from a few years ago- each verse is a journalist's camera & commentary that documents the time i spent there

--1st verse--
give me old souls with healing hands
the misunderstood, surely, they will understand
it takes a goddess' touch to reach a godless man
get him back to believing

healers, body workers, light & energy workers are drawn to the energy of those mountains, air, light & water- and people seeking that healing energy, like me, have come to colorado to be healed by the people and the place - it is no accident that there are many healers in colorado

--2nd verse--
give me a small town mayor who should be dead
but he trades in old guitars & art instead
well, he brought the fish & i brought the bread
says, miracles still happen

in that week i met nick angelo, former mayor of lyons, co. - nick told me he had died & doctors had revived him & now lives like he knows the difference & he is a ball of energy that still has the light burning brightly in his eyes - the reference to fish & bread is about the meal shared by the hand of colorado chef james van dyk w/ nick at james' fine restaurant -- a great meal w/ new friends remembered

--3rd verse--

coyote walks through light of day
& hides behind a rock like he had plans to stay
& i never did know just what he meant to say
but let me tell you, i was listening

i see animals as carriers of a certain energy- their animal energy -- i was paying attention to coyote making an appearance to me & wondering what he wanted me to know

--4th verse--

and there was pedro with his cigarette sleeves
full of friday pay & rattlesnake dreams
well, he shared his marlboros & i shared my cheese
and his steady eyes were glistening

--5th verse--
and i heard an uplifting sound in a downtown park
playing his own tune on an irish harp

the harpist's name is gaffer - he plays on the street in boulder on the pearl street mall (the east end)

and he played with just one hand as the august sky grew dark
...the other hand was for a lover

and he told me the harpist's tradition of playing with one hand on the harp and the other hand around the shoulder of a lover to watch the sun set together with the music- and that picture, based on what i was going through, without my lover, just tore me apart-

now with every trip back to boulder, i seek out gaffer on the street-

last time, i was looking for him because i wanted him to join me onstage at the boulder theater that night for an etown taping - and after some talking on my part, he agreed to join me (after all, there's a whole verse about him)- and we went off to sound-check together-- that night, as the song was introduced, i saw the local people pointing and talking amongst themselves as they recognized gaffer, the street musician, joining along with nick forster & the etones and me- we played this song, colorado; the response was overwhelming for all of us -

a trip to colorado always stays with me - it has that pull & draw on me; and i return again & again & always will

--darrell scott