areiamus

I transcribed the lyrics to a piece from Ally Kerr’s weirdly-capitalised album, Calling Out to You:

Ally Kerr - The Sore Feet Song

I walked ten thousand miles, ten thousand miles to see you
And every gasp of breath I grabbed it just to find you
I climbed up every hill to get to you
I wandered ancient lands to hold just you

And every single step of the way, I paid
Every single night and day
I searched for you
Through sandstorms and hazy dawns I reached for you

I stole ten thousand pounds, ten thousand pounds to see you
I robbed convenience stores ’cause I thought they’d make it easier
I lived off rats and toads and I starved for you
I fought off giant bears and I killed them too

And every single step of the way, I paid
Every single night and day
I searched for you
Through sandstorms and hazy dawns I reached for you

I’m tired and I’m weak but I’m strong for you
I want to go home but my love gets me through

As I’m a horrible weeaboo, I was introduced to this piece through its inclusion as the opening song of the anime series Mushi-shi. In the series, a man wanders Japan as a mystic of sorts, helping people with problems resulting from Mushi, best described as something like pre-karyote life. The wonderful art direction in this series is done credit with long, contemplative shots of the man hiking his way through snow, across mountains or into deep forest.

Of the song itself - one could easily draw the conclusion that the artist intended to create a slightly whimsical if reasonably poetic one-man-and-a-guitar ballad, in a similar soothingly mournful vein as the Iron & Wine cover of Such Great Heights.

However, the simple pathos of I want to go home but my love gets me through reveals a different way of interpreting the piece. Consider, if you will, that the protagonist isn’t simply lamenting that he hasn’t found what he’s been seeking; instead, he’s expressing his own bewilderment at being unable to break off the fruitless pursuit.