99 Miles from Kate's Soulfood by Allan Harris

I always shunned the term working class hero because it means “A person who has given up their dreams for a realistic life in the working middle class." The teachers and figures of authority who controlled my development outside of my home, tried to drill into me the notion that I should only dream but so much. For me to waste time on dreaming would only lead to a series of life long disappointments.

How wrong they were! To this day I thank the heavens or whatever celestial power it was that put me under the loving care and guidance of a people who nurtured my dreams. The only demand they asked of me was to work and be true to myself and to seek and find like minded souls who dreamed with the same fervor.

This song, 99 Miles, was written to celebrate the journey that two way- faring souls have taken in order to realize their common dreams. It also heralds and shows what obstacles and sacrifices two people in love had to make in order to stay true to each other. In this song those two souls are Pat and I, my life long partner.

Tracklist

7.	99 Miles	4:49

Lyrics

99 Miles

99 miles from Atlanta Georgia
Got one thing on my mind
Two whole weeks on this lonely road
Lord knows I've served my time
Gonna pull in the driveway
Pop on the 'mergency
Jump like a frog on the porch
Take a long hot bath
and a shot of tequila
Hear the sound of my sweet baby's voice

Been a lotta long years of scrapin and a scufflin
but time has proved us well
We might not have a lot of frills and tassles
but Lord knows we've had ourselves
I say its back to the basics
We're at our best
That's how we started out
We had love then and we have love now
and that's what we're all about

Just put out the dog and redd up the house
Cause the last two weeks have been hell
I'll be in the city by 11:00 o'clock
She knows to expect me by 12:00
Now there ain't too many jobs
For the working class hero
I gotta do the best that I can
They can stop me from working
But they can't stop the lovin
That happens between a woman and a man

There were times when I'd wake up
In the dark of the night
And watched as you slept in our bed
The room was so cold no food in the freezer
Tears welled up in my head
Now I've been a lot of places
Seen a lot of faces
She smiles when she walks by my side
If there's one thing I'd do over again
I'd ask her to be my wife

Credits

from Kate's Soulfood, track released February 12, 2021
Allan Harris (music, lyrics, guitar and lead & background vocals)
Kamau Kenyatta (producer & arranger)
Pat Harris (executive producer)
Shirazette Tinnin (drums)
Arcoiris Sandoval (piano, keyboard)
Nimrod Speaks (bass)
David Castaneda (percussion)

License