Why would anyone go chasing rainbows? Because there’s a pot of gold at the end, of course! For the miners in the 1849 Gold Rush, they literally risked their lives to get rich quick. Obviously, this is a metaphor for pursuing an idea that promises great reward, even if it seems like a fantasy. We’ve heard about the miners who lost it all, but some did strike gold! This why so many pioneers risked it all to chase their rainbow… the chance to change their lives forever!
That’s the Way Love Goes
In the late 1970’s, Willie Nelson put out an album with a song called “That’s the Way Love Goes.” The album, “To Lefty from Willie,” was a compilation of songs from a country western singer named Lefty Frizzell. It was one of my favorite albums, and as a guitar player, I learned many songs from it. My roommate and I would jam on his harmonica and my guitar for hours singing Waylon and Willie songs.
In the song, “That’s the Way Love Goes,” the opening verse says, “I’ve been throwin’ horseshoes over my left shoulder. I’ve spent all my life, lookin’ for that four leaf clover. Yet you run with me, chasing my rainbows. Honey, I love you too, and that’s the way love goes.”
That Elusive Four Leaf Clover
Chasing rainbows and that elusive four leaf clover seems like foolishness to many, but to a dreamer, it is his clarion call. These clovers and rainbows are far out endeavors that others can’t imagine. They could be solid dreams like becoming an astronaut or a pilot. Most pilots are the only ones among their peers who ever thought of flying an airplane, much less going into space.
Four leaf clovers could also be flights of fancy that may or may not pan out. Like driving to Hollywood to become an actor, only to end up broke. The point is, you tried.
See “Doomed to Sameness: The Agony of Not Trying”
How Willie Saved my Blind Date
The evening was not going well. A friend of mine from work set me up to go out with a daughter of the girl he was dating. Her name was Lisa. I showed up drunk, and we went to dinner, only I didn’t have enough money to pay for it. By the time we got to my house, my roommate was out on the back porch with a nice fire. He told me to grab my guitar and play some outlaw country. Lisa was standing behind me, frowning, and I knew my blind date was totally blown, so I picked the first notes of Willie’s song. When I got to “yet you run with me, chasing my rainbows, Honey, I love you too, and that’s the way love goes.”“ I looked back and Lisa was smiling! I guess Willie saved my blind date. The rest of the story is history.
To read this episode in full, go to the chapter “The Way Love Goes” in my book, From Woodstock to Eternity.