It was basically a pile of stone and clay tile—an old barn, falling down, and a few stone walls of the original farmhouse remained. On the front wall of the house, facing the valley, there was a solitary stone-framed window, precariously balanced, ready to fall. In the lower area, where they undoubtedly kept most of the animals, massive old brick arches were completely overgrown with weeds and vines. From the moment we first discovered those Tuscan ruins, we felt it held sacred history and energy, moving us emotionally to an immediate “yes! This is it!”

For months we took a daily walk up to the sacred site, to simply sit by the front wall of the house in silence. We definitely felt like we were meant to be there, and still do to this day. This song is our attempt to capture what we saw and felt during those early days of imagining our future in a long line of “caretakers,” tending this special place. We were committed to breathing life back into its crumbling walls.

Lyrics

Through ancient windows
And across weathered sills
I can see everything
I can feel everything

Concealed arches and covered ruins
Cloaked in green velvet years
Voices swept away with time
Somehow seem strangely near

Amid stone with pasts so deep
Walls that refuse to fall
In the place where mountains peak
The search ends
I hear them call

They inspire my thoughts in song
And set my spirit free
The language that they speak seems
Only meant for me

Clear the path, mark the way, light the fire
Rebuild the walls, take them higher, higher
Then doors and windows from the stone can be carved
That’s where the buried treasures are
The digging always frees my heart
My treasured heart

Through ancient windows and across weathered sills
I can see everything
I can feel everything
I can be anything

I can be anything

Credits

From Swinging Statues, track released 01 January 2004
Cheryl Martlage – Lyrics and vocals
Emerson Martlage – Music, guitar and vocals
Tom Tomasello – Producer/Arranger
Jim Bruno – Vocal producer
Mr Toad’s San Francisco – Mastering
Inspiration – The ancient site for the studio in Tuscany