Robert Lee: Music

Ride to Live

(Robert Lee)

Listen my friend and I’ll tell you a story,
And you know that every word is true.
‘Bout a late night ride ‘cross the mountain side
And I hope it never happens to you.

I was riding my bike late one summer night
And I had stayed to late at a party
And I was such a fool ‘cause I was low on fuel
Without a gas station in the whole county

So I trusted to luck when I took a short cut
On a trail that led over the mountain
But my motor died going up the side
So I reached down and hit my reserve tank

I was low on reserve when I hit a sharp curve
And the bike sputtered in the dark
It went into a fit then it couched twice and quit
And a cold chill went straight through my heart

So I drifted to the side when my engine died
And I saw a white cross nailed to a tree
And in the dim light on that cold lonely night
The inscription jumped right out at me. It said,

Ride to live and live to ride. It’s the only way to be free.
Ride to live and live to ride and in the end you can rest in peace.

Then suddenly a light split through the dark night
And a heard the roar of that Harley’s big cam
And it stopped right beside me and a stranger smiled at me
As he unstrapped a spare gallon gas can.

Well he poured me some gas then strapped it back on his pack
And when I said thanks he just nodded
He rode off into the night and as my bike came to life
My headlight shined right on his jacket. It said,

Ride to live and live to ride. It’s the only way to be free.
Ride to live and live to ride and in the end you can rest in peace.

Well I got home OK and I rode back the next day
Up that same old mountain trail
And I stopped at a bar that was closed the night before
And I told the bartender my tale.

He said you’re a lucky one ‘cause that was my son
And I said I’d really like to find him and thank him
He said a year ago last night he died on his bike
And now he rides in the hereafter.

Now people just laugh when I tell ‘em this tale
They think it’s just some kinda line
But when I go down for that last big ride,
This is what’ll be on my mind.

Ride to live and live to ride. It’s the only way to be free.
Ride to live and live to ride and in the end you can rest in peace.
Ride to live and live to ride. It’s the only way to be free.
Ride to live and live to ride and in the end you can rest in peace.
Yes in the end you can rest in peace.