Stay On The Ride

Patty Griffin · Children Running Through [2007]

Little old man, little old man staring down the road

Waiting on the bus, he's getting kinda cold

Bus finally gets there, he got nowhere to sit down

And the driver said, "You can stand right here behind

me or wait for the next one to come around"

And the old man says, "That's okay, I'll stand

I might look like a little old man to you

But I've been riding this bus for years and years and years

I don't even know where it's going to"

And the driver says, "You don't know where this bus is going to?"

Old man says, "No, I don't, do you?"

Driver says, "You don't know where this bus is going to?"

Old man says, "I just want it to get me through

Hey, I'm staying on the ride, it's gonna take me somewhere

Staying on the ride, it's gonna take me somewhere

Somewhere, somewhere, somewhere, somewhere"



The bus is rolling along, outside it's looking kinda strange

The Earth is shaking, the clouds are breaking

Everything is blue where it was gray

A thousand rivers flood over fields of snow

The driver looks back in the mirror for the old man

"Where did he go, where did he go?

Oh, there he is

Hey, old man, old man, old man, you still don't know?"

And the old man says, "No, I don't son, but I'm happy to go"

Hey, "I'm staying on the ride, it's gonna take me somewhere"

Hey, he said, "I'm staying on the ride, it's gonna take me somewhere

Somewhere, somewhere, somewhere, somewhere



I was born with no name, knowing nothing, still I don't

Somebody said, 'You need a name, I'm gonna give you a name'

And I said, 'No, you won't,' I said, 'No, you won't'"

Oh, "You can let me off here, son, thank you for the ride"

And the driver said, "This is the middle of nowhere, sir,"

He pulls off to the side

And the old man says, "It might look that way to you, maybe it is"

Old man says, "It might look that way to you, son, maybe it is,"

And he says, "Stay on the ride, it's gonna take you somewhere,"

Hey, hey, he said, "Stay on the ride, it's gonna take you somewhere

Somewhere, somewhere, somewhere, somewhere

It always takes you somewhere, gonna take you somewhere

It always takes you somewhere, gotta take you somewhere

It always takes you somewhere, gonna take you somewhere

It always takes you somewhere, gonna take you somewhere"

Stay On The Ride

Patty Griffin's "Stay On The Ride" serves as a poignant centerpiece on her 2007 debut album, Children Running Through. Rooted in the acoustic folk and Americana traditions she helped popularize, the track captures the weary resilience of a traveler navigating life's unpredictable journey. With her signature raw vocal delivery and sparse instrumentation, Griffin explores themes of endurance and the necessity of moving forward despite uncertainty. The song reflects the broader narrative of her early work, which often drew from her rural upbringing and personal experiences to craft stories of ordinary people facing extraordinary circumstances. As a defining moment in her discography, the recording established her reputation as an artist capable of blending intimate storytelling with a broad, resonant appeal within the contemporary folk landscape.