Expert: Bong Santos - 10/29/2007

Question
I also want that song, after "on the highway" was the words "east of Omaha...".

Answer
Dear Todd,

That would be TURN THE PAGE, originally written and performed by BOB SEGER. It was released on his 1973 album BACK IN '72. The song wasn't released as a single although it was covered a lot of times notably by METALLICA from their 1998 album GARAGE, INC. Chart-wise, the version was the most successful, hitting No. 1 on the Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks Chart on November 28, 1998. It almost charted on the Hot 100 eventually peaking at No. 102 or equivalent to No. 2 on the Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles Chart on January 9, 1999. It was also covered by WAYLON JENNINGS (1985) and SAGE FRANCIS (2001). Here's its lyrics:

TURN THE PAGE / BOB SEGER

On a long and lonesome highway east of Omaha
You can listen to the engines moaning out its one lone song
You think about the woman or the girl you knew the night before.

But your thoughts will soon be wandering the way they always do
When you're riding sixteen hours and there's nothing much to do
And you don't feel much like riding, you just wish the trip was through.

Say here I am, on the road again
There I am up on the stage
Here I go playing star again
There I go turn the page.

Well you walk into this restaurant strung out from the road
You can feel the eyes upon you
As you're shaking off the cold
You pretend it doesn't bother you
But you just want to explode.

Yeah, most times you can't hear 'em talk
Other times you can
All the same old cliches "Is it woman? Is it man?"
And you always seem outnumbered, you don't dare make a stand
Make your stand.

Oo-ooh, out there in the spotlight, you're a million miles away
Every ounce of energy you try to give away
As the sweat pours out your body like the music that you play, yeah

Later in the evening, you lie awake in bed
With the echoes of the amplifiers ringing in your head
You smoke the day's last cigarette, remembering what she said
What she said...
(Repeat Chorus)

Maraming salamat po!!

BONG M. SANTOS
Manila, Philippines