Turnpike Road from Changes by John Ferullo

Turnpike Road
“Turnpike Road” is really Cambridge Turnpike and the former home of my friend Ellen Schmidt. Ellen ran the first open mike I ever went to at the Colonial Inn in Concord. She hosted a monthly songwriter’s group at her house. She got gigs for a lot of us and produced a lot of folk events in the area. She is very much missed.
Passed the house on turnpike road
spent many hours playing
songs were for the singing there
and stories for the saying
Folks would bring their latest tune
we’d all sit and listen
to words and chords and melodies
not a note was missin’

Sing me one more chorus Ellen
I like the story you are tellin’
I like the flowing of the melody
If I could get one more rhyme
and work out the picking time
that’d be good enough for me

There’s an old hotel in town where pickers might be playin'
it hasn’t changed in hundred years
at least that’s what we’re sayin'
there’s a room out in the back
you can get a cold one
listen to the pickers there
and maybe even be one

Jake took the microphone
like he had all his life
teased a woman at the bar
sang of a barlow knife
I miss those rowdy nights
when everyone was smiling
singing songs, telling tales
and everyone was laughing

Sing me one more chorus Ellen
I like the story you are tellin’
I like the flowing of the melody
If I could get one more rhyme
and work out the picking time
that’d be good enough for me
that’d be good enough for me

• Americana
• Folk
• acoustic folk
• songwriter
• story songs
• Westford