I’ve had several jobs which required me to travel worldwide. When I was in Auckland, New Zealand, I was fortunate enough to see the southern cross.
I actually drew a breath. It was beautiful.
I saw the Southern Cross while climbing Cerro Aconcagua in Argentina. We were climbing the Polish Glacier route on the north side. I saw it on a clear night at high camp at around 19,600 ft elevation. The weather had been so bad that I thought there would not be a clear night.
Southern Cross
Crosby, Stills & Nash
Produced by Graham Nash, Stephen Stills & David Crosby
Album Daylight Again
[Verse 1]
Got out of town on a boat, going to Southern islands
Sailing a reach before a following sea
She was making for the trades on the outside
And the downhill run to Papeete
Off the wind on this heading lie the Marquesas
We got eighty feet of the waterline, nicely making way
In a noisy bar in Avalon, I tried to call you
But on a midnight watch I realized why twice you ran away
[Pre-Chorus]
Think about how many times I have fallen
Spirits are using me, larger voices calling
What heaven brought you and me cannot be forgotten
[Chorus]
I have been around the world
Looking for that woman-girl
Who knows love can endure
And you know it will
[Verse 2]
When you see the Southern Cross for the first time
You understand now why you came this way
Cause the truth you might be running from is so small
But it’s as big as the promise, the promise of a coming day
So I’m sailing for tomorrow, my dreams are a dying
And my love is an anchor tied to you, tied with a silver chain
I have my ship and all her flags are a flying
She is all that I have left and music is her name
[Pre-Chorus]
Think about how many times I have fallen
Spirits are using me, larger voices calling
What heaven brought you and me cannot be forgotten
[Chorus]
I have been around the world
Looking for that woman-girl
Who knows love can endure
And you know it will
[Verse 3]
So we cheated and we lied and we tested
And we never failed to fail, it was the easiest thing to do
You will survive being bested
Somebody fine will come along, make me forget about loving you
In the Southern Cross