Relative Man

(Bob Nolan)

Once I had a gentle friend who told me of the most fantastic

Journey he once took to the far corners of the earth

And how he had come to this wide, wide river.

And he said to me, “I looked across that river

And there I beheld the most magnificent mountain I had ever seen.

And I wanted to climb that mountain but the river was so wide.”

And a Voice said to me, “Take your time, take your time.

Just build yourself a raft but take your time.”

So I crossed that wide river and stood looking up at my mountain once more

And, oh, it looked much higher than it did from the other shore.

And the Voice said, “Take your time,”

And the wind whispered, “Take your time.”

So I climbed to the top of my mountain and there before my eyes

Was a mountain beyond another mountain,

Beyond and beyond to infinity.

And the Voice said, “Do not be afraid for you are

Part of, in contact with, and relative to

The vast and endless universe

And the universe is relative unto God

And God is relative unto you

So take your time for you are going to be here for ever.

Oh yes, it is almost certain that somewhere along the way

There will come a day

And a very small part of you will just go away.

But the greater part of you, the most precious of all,

That one indestructible element in the whole universe

Will just become an invisible cloud of mist

And be flown into the far reaches of the atmospheric heavens

And there to await that magic moment

When you will be returned in the gentle rain,

Back to the earth from which you came

And there, in numberless ways, remain

Part of, in contact with, and relative to

Forever and ever, forever and ever.”

Amen.

Performed on this page by Jim Nabors.

Click here to read more about the song and listen to Bob Nolan sing it himself.

It may be possible for you to find the complete album by Jim Nabors on eBay.

For permission to record Bob Nolan's music, contact: The Songwriter’s Guild of America