The Land Player

This week’s Featured Video for the “Your Parks Video Challenge,” is submitted from TheLandPlayer who made this acoustic riff about the Yellowstone and the Grand Tetons.

TheLandPlayer had set out to the Grand Tetons with his wife to celebrate their tenth wedding anniversary, when a simple sinus infection turned into pneumonia.  He says, “In the song presented here, I am reflecting on my surroundings and the recent events of my life - the anniversary, being sick, seeking beautiful places when your bank account says not to.  This is the only take, all the words are improvised, and I like to think that maybe for a second or two I was the voice of the scene around me.”

Continue to read the lyrics to this spontaneous and heartfelt song:

Water On the Edge
(Improvisation over Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone near the Lower Falls)
© 2009 - Mark Watson

you know I’ve been coming long way
even finding my own day
it’s back to this beginning before I came to my ending
you know I was thinking my way was one more than I could see
and I was only ending before I was seeing it now

so you run me over the falls
off of the brink the water goes
down into mist - it colors all the way down
and in the ending, in the old, gathers, surrounds me, me…

now I’ve been thinking that my own life is running down
in circles that I’ve been coming with my own wife
I’m turning ‘round
thinking maybe now it’s time to stop and set down
stop and set down
stop and set down

hold me now because I am leaning over the edge now
take me another shot because I am running all to death
and I’ve seen it all come back for me and all
and now clouds are breaking blue skies out

I say you have called me over one too many times
and I say this may all be over now
but I’m, I’m not forgetting
I’m not forgetting life

a brave man he say “one day this’ll be over now”
but I wasn’t believing him
I was running, running out
find me another wave
find me a path in the woods now
save me another day
run it over, over

Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone
I am yelling for you
now I am coming back home
I am feeling it too
you have called me through
this world of legume

and I am seeking in it all
now you have run me through this heart
hold me one more time
baby I could stop
and if you love me now
will you love me in the end?
now I’ve come around to seek the beginning
over it all

so take me from youth
into my older days
from head to my feet - old and gray
don’t let me sit down
oh, don’t let me stay
don’t let me stay
don’t let me stay

I’m seeking worlds
I’m seeking universes now
I’m seeking reality
and the Truth now
I’m seeking something to see
that’s coming in the ground
oh so long without smiles to get us out

how is all that may be in my mind now
young pine tree sitting on this edge for life
unable to sing, unable to see through my eye

This ain’t the end of day
I just found purpose in my life
purpose in my life
purpose in my…

so I look at you and I say “baby there’s a door let’s go”
no more wine to waste me
we got to get moving on
traveling roads nobody’s been on
traveling places that no music is played on
traveling my mind before I am lost to life
traveling my mind before I am lost to light

oh I see, only this in me
folded universe coming for this earth
and now blue sky opens up with white cloud
and now water flows on the brink of my life

so sing me to the world
send me over before I go
come on man, no time left
it’s too beautiful to let go

how they take me
how they hold me in the running now
and in traces on the edge
it was looking down

down in roads
down in needs
down in old - did I see?
and in there, coming all back to me

yeah, I’ve seen this only one time in my life
and if it lasted at the Beginning, then it will end at the End

water flows down
I am how
and I have seen it now

The National Park Foundation was selected by Target to benefit from Bullseye Gives, a two-week long giving campaign on its Facebook page. From May 10th to May 25th, Facebook users have the power to decide how Target will distribute $3 million among ten nonprofit organizations - including NPF. The percentage of votes the Foundation receives will represent its portion of the $3 million.

So take a few seconds and lend your support for our national parks. Visit Target’s facebook page, click the “Vote” tab and cast your ballot for the National Park Foundation.  Vote today and every day through May 25th.

The 2009 Photo Contest will open on May 4, 2009. Get your cameras ready!