Wildcatter - Lyrics and Inspiration

Dusty tracks Wagon train getting bleary and dull I’ve heard tale Over that pass a valley of gold Night falls I slip away from the noisy crowd But not before I hear the driver calling me out He says, ‘comes a time You want to stake your own claim Take this tradition And feed the call of the Wildcatter brain Envision See the mind producing gold And you’re the one to keep it Decision Fix your compass to the goal Ain’t no way to cheat it The Mission Seek a treaty for the whole The language, can you speak it? Take this tradition And feed the call of the wildcatter brain

Slippery rocks A much harder climb than I was told I could back Hungry and tired, the mountain so cold Night falls I dream of a sign to show me the way A fire in my core I hear driver silently say (Chorus) Cloudy pass Painted leopard in front of a door I give a growl She shows me to the valley floor Night falls Not before I make a glittering find As in the lore She charges me to guard the divine (Chorus)

Copyright 2024 Brightwood Clay. Recorded at Beaird Studios, Nashville.

Inspiration

This is a rock song I intentionally wrote in the Bon Jovi tradition. I was travelling in Australia when I wrote the song. Inspired by the rugged, dry terrain, I set the story in the American West during the gold rush era.

A young hired hand tires of the monotony of the long trail and decides to strike out on his own. He sets off on an adventure and overcomes challenges. He finds helpers along the way and thresholds he must cross. In the end, he discovers his own inner strength and finds "gold" in responsibility.