Written by: Derek Webb
Appears on: Self Titled, Guild 1, Intimate Portrait, Chronicles
Lyrics:
I am a bus driver and it’s four in the morning
And I’m pressing out my clothes beside my bed
Fourteen years been on the job and with many miles behind
Still I’m up at 3:30 to make sure I’m there on time
My car gets me along just fine to and from the station
But my castle is this Houston Metro Bus
My first stop is Ashbury, and the sign’s been gone for years
but all the same the people wait cause they know that I’ll be there
What would you say if I told you that I won’t be by today?
Would you say that I’m just a bus driver and what do I know,
Just a bus driver and what do I know,
Just a bus driver and what do I know?
Well, I’m always there by five fifteen, and lately I’ve been early
‘Cause Judith likes to be in early to the bank
She gives me conversation and a token good for riding
And she’s happy all alone
And then there’s Charles in retail sales
And I hope they pay him well
For the work that young man does
‘Cause I’ve never seen the inside
Of a custom refrigerator
But I know he’s the first and last one there
I wonder what they do all day at their respective works
Suppose they give money and take money away
Still, I’m just orbiting this town, with the post office my sun
And I’m circling again
And I wonder how this world would be
If I was never here to drive this bus around from Ashbury to Main
Suppose this town would be the same but with one bus’ less exhaust
But that bank and retail stores, they just wouldn’t be the same
But what can I see from the limited confines of my bus driving seat?
Only me
See also: MusicBrainz.
This song is about the fact that no one is insignificant in God’s eyes, and each person is an equally important part of the whole body. The song is written from the perspective of a bus driver, who feels that his role doesn’t matter in the larger scheme. As the song progresses, we see the bus driver, representative of each one of us, come to the realization that his part does matter, and if he “wasn’t by today” it would affect many people around him.
“My first stop is Ashbury And the sign’s been gone for years” and “…to drive this bus around from Ashbury to Main”… The first line is referring to the bus stop sign, which has been gone for years, yet the people still wait there because they know it is a bus stop. We did some investigating about these two roads, and have come to the conclusion that this is purely fictional. There is an Ashbury Park Court in Houston, but it did not exist when the song was written , and is far away from Main Street. Obviously, Derek made this bus route up from his own imagination, and not from personal experience with the Houston Metro System.
“…’cause Judith likes to be in early to the bank.” and “then there’s Charles in retail sales”…Derek’s mother’s name is Judith, and we could draw the conclusion that she works or worked in a bank. Derek’s father’s name is Charles, and he is a District Sales Rep for a large company.
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