View from the tower

When we were youngsters
me and little brother
slip out the bedroom window
slide down that gutter
made our way
through the darkness
through the alleys
and the shortcuts
climb that ladder
up the water tower

we used to sit
and dream them dreams
of how our lives would be
as we grew older
dreams of glory and power
everything looked smaller
and at the same time taller
stretched on forever
the view from the tower

big river was rolling
seven year flood flowing
winds of war a-blowing
icy cold and snowing
boys grew into men then
right there and then then
little brother headed one way
and I went the other

Chorus

little brother dug in deeper
as my climb grew steeper
while he was building him a home
I built a tower of my own
we used to glimpse one another
across the wide rolling river
turn our gaze from each other
pretend we didn't remember

Chorus

I went down to the river
found a note in a bottle
read it there by the water
it said "I miss my brother"
I went and got my hammer
tore down my tower
built a raft and a rudder
sailed across that river
I went and found my brother
his children and their mother
never more will I wander
never more will I wonder

Chorus

Lyrics by Bob Walkenhorst
© 1994 Bob Walkenhorst Music BMI