Before I could ride a motorcycle, that’s all I wanted to do. I dreamt about it, though in my pre-teen dreams often I’d find myself peddling as if I was on a bicycle! Though I took a number of years away from motorcycles after the hit-and-run incident referred to in “Goes so Fast,” I eventually came back to it and became fully immersed. I loved the machines, what I didn’t count on was the number of great people I would form close friendships with along the way.
The song “Born to be Wild” never spoke to whatever was in me that needed to ride, and contains the absurd line, “We can fly so high, never gonna die.” Yeah, bullshit. This song better encapsulates the sport bike-centric experience for me, and acknowledges the future date when I wouldn’t be able to ride anymore.
That day has arrived, but it’s all right, I had a great run, I experienced some truly iconic motorcycles and rode them as they were intended to be by the people who designed them. I slid my knees on some of the best racetracks in America, took lessons from World Champions, created a lot of memories riding thousands of miles on beautiful roads with good friends, rode a Norton from California to Michigan, and for the most part, got away with it, though it was a near thing at times. I’m grateful for the experiences and especially the friendships. I hope the people I rode with enjoy this tune.
I’ve performed this song acoustically, but from the moment I wrote it I wanted to hear it played as the Who would have done it. Thanks to Donn Deniston, Dave Roof, and Mike Gentry, I finally got to hear it properly, not as if I’m peddling in a dream.
