Album: Tea For The Tillerman (1970)

License This Song 

• Well I left my happy home
  To see what I could find out
  I left my folk and friends
  With the aim to clear my mind out
  
  Well I hit the rowdy road
  And many kinds I met there
  And many stories told me on the way to get there
  
  So on and on I go, the seconds tick the time out
  So much left to know, and I'm on the road to find out
  
  In the end I'll know
  But on the way I wonder
  Through descending snow
  And through the frost and thunder
  
  I listen to the wind come howl
  Telling me I have to hurry
  I listen to the robin's song
  Saying not to worry
  
  So on, and on I go, the seconds tick the time out
  So much left to know, and I'm on the road to find out
  
  Well I found myself alone
  Hoping someone would miss me
  Thinking about my home and the last woman to kiss me
  
  Well sometimes you have to moan
  When nothing seems to suit you
  But never the less you know
  Your locked towards the future
  
  So off and on you go, the seconds tick the time out
  There's so much left to know and I'm on the road to find out
  
  And I found my head one day
  When I wasn't even trying
  And here I have to say
  Cause there is no use in lying, lying
  
  Yes the answer lies within
  So why not take a look now
  Kick out the devils sin
  Pickup, pickup a good book now
  
  Yes the answer lies within
  So why not take a look now
  Kick out the devils sin
  Pickup, pickup a good book now
  
  Yes the answer lies within
  So why not take a look now
  Kick out the devils sin
  Pickup, pickup a good book now Writer/s: STEVENS
  Publisher: BMG Rights Management
  Lyrics licensed and provided by LyricFind

Comments: 8

• Tinagay Riddle, Retired Army from Louisville, KentuckyCat Stevens spoke to me in my teen years. I felt spiritual but could not feel happy. I promised myself that I would meet him some day, talk about it, and I would write about it. My ambition, written in my high school annual, was to get on Cat’s “Road to Find Out.” I ALWAYS knew the last words were to have been to “pick up the good book now.” I entered the military, picked up many books, learned much, served in Saudi Arabia and Bosnia and admire his commitment to God and what he said during an interview, “you have to be true to yourself and what you believe.”
• John Roberts from Chicago, IllinoisHe even sings 'Pick up the Good Book now' here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OPv0-9Q79a4 "A good book" makes no sense if you are "kicking out the Devil's sin". If atheists don't like hearing about religion, don't listen to Cat Stevens.
• Steve from Melbourne, AustraliaI could be drawing a long bow here but having read Bunyan's 'Pilgrims Progress' I am struck by the similarities between song and story. A young man dissatisified with his life, leaves his home and family to set out on a journy to discover what is tryly important. Of course both texts share a christian connection.
• Walter from Austin, TxHarold buys a Hearse first. His mom has it taken away and gives him a nifty Jaguar to replace it. Harold promptly converts the Jaguar into a Hearse.
• Joe from Sacramento, Caharold didnt buy the hearse he had a jaguar i think was the car cutinto a car that looked like a hearse
• Janice from Folsom, CaThis song was played at both my brother's and father's funerals. A perfect way to sum up the journey they'd been on, and the one they were embarking on. Through out life, we are truly on the road to find out.
• Peter Griffin from Quahog, Riyesss
• Brian from Fullerton (the Paris Of Oc), CaThis is the song playing in the film Harold and Maude when Harold buys his hearse. For some reason, it's a beautiful scene.

More Songfacts:

KashmirLed Zeppelin

"Kashmir" is the only Led Zeppelin song to use outside musicians, as it needed strings and horns.

LolaThe Kinks

When The Kinks released "Lola," most people didn't realize Lola was a man. "I was dancing with this beautiful blonde, then we went out into the daylight and I saw her stubble," Ray Davies said of the inspiration.

That'll Be The DayBuddy Holly

Buddy Holly got the title for his hit song "That'll Be The Day" from a phrase John Wayne repeats in the 1956 movie The Searchers.

Piano ManBilly Joel

Billy Joel is surprised that "Piano Man" is so successful. He called it "an old, long song about a guy at a depressing piano bar."

Without YouNilsson

The song "Without You," a hit for Nilsson in 1972 and Mariah Carey in 1994, was written and originally recorded by Badfinger in 1970.

Blaze Of GloryJon Bon Jovi

Jon Bon Jovi earned his first movie credit - Young Guns II - by writing "Blaze Of Glory" for the film.

Editor's Picks

Facebook, Bromance and Email - The First Songs To Use New WordsSong Writing

Where words like "email," "thirsty," "Twitter" and "gangsta" first showed up in songs, and which songs popularized them.

Stand By Me: The Perfect Song-Movie CombinationSong Writing

In 1986, a Stephen King novella was made into a movie, with a classic song serving as title, soundtrack and tone.

AdeleFact or Fiction

Despite her reticent personality, Adele's life and music are filled with intrigue. See if you can spot the true tales.

Ian Anderson: "The delight in making music is that you don't have a formula"Songwriter Interviews

Ian talks about his 3 or 4 blatant attempts to write a pop song, and also the ones he most connected with, including "Locomotive Breath."

John Lee HookerSongwriter Interviews

Into the vaults for Bruce Pollock's 1984 conversation with the esteemed bluesman. Hooker talks about transforming a Tony Bennett classic and why you don't have to be sad and lonely to write the blues.

Al Jourgensen of MinistrySongwriter Interviews

In the name of song explanation, Al talks about scoring heroin for William Burroughs, and that's not even the most shocking story in this one.