From the recording Long Way to Wander (2007)
Inspired by a white statue of Guanyin, Goddess of Mercy, on the hillside by my home in Longtan, Taoyuan, Taiwan that I could see from a distance but never managed to find.
Lyrics
when I get down off of this mountain
I don’t wanna lash out anymore from the anger in me
and though it’s a hard road, harder than either of us know
I won’t let myself be paralyzed by all of the paralysis I see
pretty white Guanyin on a thick green mountain
looking down at the world with the eyes of mercy
and when I get down off of this mountain,
I won’t let myself be stupefied by all of the stupidity I see
when I get back home to see you
I hope you’ll recognize a different man than before
cause I’ve made choices, listened to quiet voices,
and I know I can’t run all the same games anymore
livin hard and loud, sometimes too proud
trying to write our names across the sky
seeing losers, and sickening people
trying to remind myself, there but for the grace of God go I
if I make it for September
maybe I can get my shit together and go back to school
but if I don’t, I’ll see you in Argentina
we can head to the beaches when the summer dies down,
leave the misty mountains when the weather gets cool