Music

House concert video: Ron Lindeman The road to paradise – February 2023

House concert video: Ron Lindeman The road to paradise
February 2023
Music and lyrics by Ron Lindeman

This song was orginally written for and dedicated to Johanna (or to friends “JoJo”). When she was 15 years old she left her elderly home and lived in various countries all over the world. She said that the best place where she lived was in the Negev desert in Israel. She later settled down in the UK and got married and got a child. She worked as a nurse for many years. She got cancer twice in her life and survived both times. As she said herself: the struggle to survive still keeps her alive. As I write this in February 2023, Jojo has recently turned 60 years old.

The Road to Paradise ( JoJo’s song)

JoJo thinks of long ago places
She remembers forgottten faces
Life shouldn’t be so hard on a child
Fifteen years old feeling so alone
Turned her back on her childhood home
Carrying a load heavy as a stone

She followed her soul in search for peace
To beautiful foreign faraway places
The best time in her life she remembers
was living with people in the desert sun

JoJo thinks of long ago places
She remembers forgottten faces
Life shouldn’t be so hard on a child
Fifteen years old feeling so alone
Turned her back on her childhood home
Carrying a load heavy as a stone

An ego so small but a soul so tall
All she wanted was justice for all
Cancer ate her body twice
She fought back and stayed alive

JoJo thinks of long ago places
She remembers forgottten faces
Life shouldn’t be so hard on a child
Fifteen years old feeling so alone
Turned her back on her childhood home
Carrying a load heavy as a stone

She worked as a nurse and her daily strife
Was trying to keep other people alive
She met a man life gave her a smile
She married him and gave birth to a child

JoJo thinks of long ago places
She remembers forgottten faces
Life shouldn’t be so hard on a child
Fifteen years old feeling so alone
Turned her back on her childhood home
Carrying a load heavy as a stone

She’s been lied and betrayed for no reason
Felt the burning pain of treason
You should have trust with every step you take
But trusting could be her biggest mistake

JoJo thinks of long ago places
She remembers forgottten faces
Life shouldn’t be so hard on a child
Fifteen years old feeling so alone
Turned her back on her childhood home
Carrying a load heavy as a stone

And now that she’s growing older
A heavy load still rests on her shoulders
Every day is one to survive
But it’s the fight that keeps her alive

JoJo thinks of long ago places
She remembers forgottten faces
Life shouldn’t be so hard on a child
Fifteen years old feeling so alone
Turned her back on her childhood home
Carrying a load heavy as a stone

Words and music by Ron Lindeman
Copyright Ron Lindeman