From: Polly Vedder/GRI/International Thomson Publishing  

Press On
by Billy Luz Sprague and Jim Weber; performed by Billy Sprague
>From the album The Wind and the Wave
copyright 1993 Paragon Music Corp./Skin Horse, Inc./Centergetic Music.
(admin. by Integrated Copyright Group, Inc.)
ASCAP. All rights reserved.

[Briskly]

       G           Am             G        Am
I was down in the valley of the shadow of death
           G                             Am             D
Where the passion for life drained like blood from my chest
             Em           Am         C
And it took more than my will just to take a step
        Am                    D
When the compass of hope was gone

      G           Am           G             Am
In a silence so black that I wished for the blues
     G                              Am        D
every desperate prayer seemed like heaven refused
          Em           Am             C
and some days I found faith meant just tying my shoes
                       D               G
and it was all I could do to press on.

                      Am7         G         Am7
 Press on, mi amigo; press on, mon ami;
             G          Em          C    D
 walk on in the face of the mystery.
                     C              Em                Am           D
 Though the night hides the light through the darkness til dawn,
                   Am             C               G
 tie your shoes, my dear friend, and press on.

       G         Am             G         Am
On the ocean so lonesome I was not left alone--
        G                             Am           D
had some heavyweight friends when my heart was a stone,
          Em          Am          C
And they carried the heartache and made it their own
        Am                          D
When the currents of sorrow were strong.

          G             Am            G            Am
One said, "I pray your memories will not drag you down,
      G                              Am                D
not be anchors but treasures of the love that you've found,"
         Em                Am        C
and his kind words turned hurt into comfort somehow
                  D             G
and a wind in my sail to press on.

                      Am7         G         Am7
 Press on, mi amigo; press on, mon ami;
             G          Em          C    D
 walk on in the face of the mystery.
                     C              Em                Am           D
 Though the night hides the light through the darkness til dawn,
                Am             C               G
 lean on me, my dear friend, and press on.


[much slower]
            Em              G                  D             C
Though the days seem like years--there may be giants in our fears--
         Em              G                         D     [a tempo]
Ah, but they who sow in tears--they shall reap in joy;

They shall run and leap for joy.

                      Am7         G         Am7
 Press on, mi amigo; press on, mon ami;
             G          Em          C    D
 walk on in the face of the mystery.
                     C              Em            Am         D
 Though the night hides the light and the journey is long,
                   Am             C               G
 tie your shoes, my dear friend, and press on.