One of the seven wonders of the world, there’s only one Grand Canyon. Inspired by my love of the Colorado River and The Canyon, I wrote this ten-minute song to share my feelings about it. I know, it’s hard to describe the indescribable beauty and majesty of such an amazing place.

My goal was to carry the listener along the water’s path from the rainfall above through the Canyon and on to the ocean. This first half of the song is spoken word performed by Dan Wymm, while the second half is sung by Tammy Frost. I’ll never forget the day in the studio when these artists breathed life into this song. I couldn’t hold back the tears.

I’ve floated the 225 mile section now 10 times in rafts, kayaks and once on a boogie board. It takes at least 14 – 18 days to do it. Being in this wilderness that long can be a life changing experience for most people. It certainly changed mine.
Here’s a link to view the video we made about the song.

In late August the monsoon rains
return to the parched desert
of the American southwest
Above the rim of Grand Canyon
storm clouds gather like giant herds of buffalo
ready to stampede across the sky

In the meadows high atop the Colorado Plateau
much needed rains soak the land
Soon small rivulets of water form
and gather together,
each contributing to the other
getting stronger as they meander
inevitably toward the Canyon

Familiar and worn from erosion,
the water’s path merges brooks into streams
protected from evaporation
Sometimes at rest in rising pools
at times swiftly falling,
the rain of the monsoon sky
carves and courses ever onward
deeper into the canyon

Passing through layered stone formations
A billion years old or more
Water, life giving water,
has been this way before
Scouring the Canyon walls and
blending with larger creeks, it seems
the Colorado River is calling them home

Adventurous souls deep inside the Canyon
watch streaks of rain spilling from the clouds
evaporate and vanish
long before reaching the river
Suddenly random spouts and waterfalls appear,
cascading over the rims and creeks gush out
from side-canyons

Thunder calls and waterfalls a glory to behold
It has been this way since the canyon was formed
The desert is a harsh place
Only the hardiest people dared live here
like the tenacious plants that somehow survive
Eventually the ancient ones went away

Like everything else that exists,
everything changes with time,
but the Colorado rolls on
It is the Canyon’s song
Destined for the sea of Cortez,
the walls of the Canyon
that rise so grandly above the mighty river
stand as testament to its journey.

In the bottom of Grand Canyon
feeling small as a grain of sand
Surrounded by a work of time
not made by human hand
This place of speechless wonder
has and power all its own
I feel humble revery
in cathedrals carved in stone

We’ve all become so caught up
in our daily working time
No wonder when we journey here
it surely clears the mind
Pretense fades each passing mile
so far away from home
There’s healing in a simple smile,
there’s time to be alone

Shadows in the moonlight,
dance upon the sand
Magic in the gentle weight
of the unseen hand
Power in the river flow,
faces in the stone
Voices in the echoes when
you thought you were alone

Grand Canyon is a magic place
You can run but you can’t hide
It can wash the mask right off your face
and open you up wide
These hallowed walls speak silently
majestic pastel artistry
Rolling thunder in the corridor
nature’s endless symphony

Colorado Roll on,
it’s a canyon song

Colorado Roll On

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