where can a sick man go
when he can't choke down the medicine the old doc knows
a specialist came to town but he stays at home
saying 'no one knows so i don't, honey, when in rome'

where can a teacher go
wherever she thinks people need the things she knows
hey, those books you gave us look good on the shelves at home
and they'll burn warm in the fireplace, teacher, when in rome

grab a blanket, sister, we'll make smoke signals
bring in some new blood, it feels like we're alone
grab a blanket, brother, so we don't catch cold
from one another i wonder if we're stuck in rome

where can a dead man go
a question with an answer only dead men know
but i'm gonna bet they never really feel at home
if they spent a lifetime learning how to live in rome

[small clips of audio enjoyment here and here.]


words and music by chris thile. copyright 2005 queen's counsel music (ascap); mad german music (ascap).

so tb sent me a couple of mix cds last week, and she included this song by nickel creek on one of them. as i told her shortly thereafter, "...i ended up buying 'why should the fire die?' yesterday. awesome. 'when in rome' is incredibly infectious... it's like musical crack."

besides doubling as an illegal substance, it has also been in heavy rotation in the car and at home. i find the lyrics subtle yet powerful. and i imagine this song will come to mind at times when i realize i find myself in rome. it is in the daily decisions of life that we find ourselves transformed people... or so i've heard.