Where the Heart Is

© 2008 Naomi Rivkis

One of Lookingglass Folk's most popular songs, and a favorite of mine, only in part because my grandma Tanya came from Odessa, too.

Lyrics [pdf] [txt] [cho]

	Am	Dm	Am
My gr	andmother	came from Od	essa

	Am	Dm	Am
	Walked across	Europe to get to the	sea

	Am	Dm	Am
She s	ailed the Atl	antic in	winter

	Am	Dm	F	Am
To the pl	ace where my gr	andfather	said he would	be.

	Am	Dm	Am
She p	ushed through the cr	owd at the dockside to r	each him

	Am	Dm	Am
He sw	ung her up	high and he kissed her sweet sm	ile

	Am	Dm	Am
He s	aid as they	walked through the loud foreign	city,

	Am	Dm	F	Am
"This	may become	home, but it	could take a wh	ile."

Dm Am Dm Am

But she just shook her h ead at the str ain in his eyes,

Am Dm Am

Said, "I followed my heart, and the heart never lies.

Dm Am Dm Am

I will never forg et how I loved my own land

Am Dm Am

But we'll make a true home in the place where we stand

Am Dm F Am

Because home is wher ever you reach for my hand."

	Am	Dm	Am
I was	born to the	lights of Manh	attan,

	Dm	Am
Knew the pulse of the	subway too deeply to	speak

	Dm	Am
Your spirit was	bound to the	mountains

	Dm	F	Am
And I loved you bef	ore I had	known you a	week.

	Am	Dm	Am
I	drove all al	one through the	high plains and prairies

	Dm	Am
To the warmth and the	wit that had struck my heart	through;

	Dm	Am
You smiled as you	showed me your forests and	flowers

	Dm	F	Am
But your eyes held the	question my	grandfather	knew.

Dm Am Dm Am

But I said, "I will learn to love wide western skies

Am Dm Am

For I followed my heart and the heart never lies.

Dm Am Dm Am

I will never forg et how I love my own land

Dm Am

But I'll make a true home in the place where I stand

Am Dm F Am

Because home is wher ever you reach for my hand."

	Am	Dm	Am
The	water kept	rising unn	oticed,

	Dm	Am
A little bit higher and	wilder each	year

	Dm	Am
Came a time when we	couldn't de	ny it:

	Dm	F	Am
That our home in the	hills would too	soon disapp	ear

	Am	Dm	Am
We	saved all our	money and	spoke to the children,

	Dm	Am
Signed up with these	colonists heading for	space,

	Dm	Am
Now we hold the kids	high: a last look out the	window,

	Dm	F	Am
You watch the Earth	fade through the	tears on your	face

Dm Am Dm Am

And I can't speak ill usions, the pain to disg uise

Am Dm Am

But we've br ought our hearts here and the heart never lies.

Dm Am Dm Am

We will never for get how we love our own land

Am Dm Am

But our family's tog ether through starlight or sand

Am Dm F Am

And home is wher ever we reach for your hand.