Faster Than You Know

She was born within a forest, from a clear and ancient spring
Fed by April rain and melting snow
She's the echo of the chorus of the songs our paddles sing
A river flowing faster than you know

Grip your paddle tightly when it's twisting in your hand
Lift your load up lightly when you walk upon the land
It's my job to teach you rightly,
And then onward you must go
On a river flowing faster than you know

As you gaze upon her surface
You may marvel at her strength
You may wonder at the currents down below
You may never know your purpose
Til you've run that river's length
But that river's flowing faster than you know

Put a brace out upstream when you're needing some support
Don't go drifting downstream clutching madly at the thwart
And if the boat goes over don't you ever let it go
For that river's flowing faster than you know

You may coast along her waters,
You may paddle straight and strong
You may fight to turn your craft against the flow
You may guide your sons and daughters
Just a little ways along
On a river flowing faster than you know

She rolls down to the ocean in the end or so I'm told
I have never paddled all the way
I guess I'm gonna get there by the time I'm very old
I'll wait for you, I'll meet you there one day...

This river's flowing faster than a human heart can beat
No man may ever master her until his life's complete
She runs deeper, she grows vaster, it was always, ever so
On a river flowing faster than you know...
On a river flowing faster than you know.

I wrote this song by request of my friend's dad, Bernie Levy.

Bernie's a harcore canoeist and wanted a song for a film he was making of his grandchild's first whitewater canoe trip. I recorded it live at the Lunenburg Opera House with Bernie in the audience... dedicating it to him and his grandson Isaac.

The next thing I knew we'd won "Best Music in a Short Film" at the Waterwalker Film Festival.