The Leaving

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Story behind the song

I wrote "The Leaving" as a meditation on death, loss, and the quiet certainty that change is woven into every human life. Rather than focusing on a particular person or event, I wanted to explore the universal experience of learning to let go. The song reflects my long-standing interest in spiritual traditions that view life as a continual process of change rather than something to be possessed or held onto. It asks whether acceptance can become its own kind of grace, even in the face of endings we never choose. More than thirty years later, I hear "The Leaving" less as a song about death than as a reminder that every ending also belongs to the larger rhythm of life. In accepting that nothing remains unchanged, we may discover a deeper appreciation for the time we are given.

Lyrics

The thing is in the leaving Where the real heart lies The essence and the wonder Beyond this mortal guise So many want to stay So many want to hide But the thing is in the leaving Where the grown men cry The thing is in the leaving Both goodbye and hello The early morning evening Where mountains come and go So many are afraid So many never try To feel the windswept leaving No one can deny Still the thing waits in the leaving With strength beyond our own The axis of a turning world That holds us in her arms So many try to cling Often until they drown Smile through it lightly Wear it like a gown Wear it like a gown The thing is in the leaving Where the real heart lies The thing is in the leaving Where the real heart lies

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