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Rusted Root — Send Me On My Way
Album: When I Woke
Avg rating:
7

Your rating:
Total ratings: 4773









Released: 1994
Length: 4:18
Plays (last 30 days): 3
(On my way, on my way)
(On my way, on my way)

I would like to reach out my hand
I may see you, I may tell you to run (On my way, on my way)
Momadisay momadiyah.

Well pick me up with golden hand
I may see you, I may tell you to run (On my way, on my way)
Momadisay momadiyah.

Well, I would like to hold my little hand
And we will run, we will, we will crawl, we will
I would like to hold my little hand
And we will run, we will, we will crawl

Send me on my way (On my way)
Send me on my way (On my way)
Send me on my way (On my way)
Send me on my way (On my way)
Send me on my way (On my way)
Send me on my way (On my way)
Send me on my way (On my way)
Mm hmm (On my way)

I would like to reach out my hand
I may see you, I may tell you to run (On my way, on my way)
Momadisay momadiyah.

Now pick me up with golden hand
I may see you, I may tell you to run (On my way, on my way)
Momadisay momadiyah.

Well, I would like to hold my little hand
And we will run, we will, we will crawl, we will
I would like to hold my little hand
And we will run, we will, we will crawl

Send me on my way (On my way)
Send me on my way (On my way)
Send me on my way (On my way)
Send me on my way (On my way)
Send me on my way (On my way)
Send me on my way (On my way)
Send me on my way (On my way)
Mm hmm (On my way)

Well, I would like to hold my little hand
And we will run, we will, we will crawl, we will
I would like to hold my little hand
And we will run, we will, we will crawl

Send me on my way
Send me on my way
Send me on my way
On my way
Send me on my way
Send me on my way

I would like to reach out my hand
I may see you, I may tell you to run (On my way, on my way)
Momadisay momadiyah.
Comments (546)add comment
I had this tape when it came out and it sure got played a lot. It was tons of fun for my Mexican ex- and I. We lived in Seafood Paradise, on the bamboo- and spruce-filled coast of Noto Hanto, Ishikawa-ken, and I was doing ceramics, teaching English, and writing for Fodor's JAPAN. Life was groovy. This gave us the biggest kick, and when my son was born it got new life and giggles all around. How can one not burst out in spastic sing-along to this unabashed exuberance and verve? It was a hit at our wild and famous Parties Gone Out of Bounds. The memories are bittersweet but vital, especially since the Noto we all knew has largely been destroyed this past year by earthquakes, floods, and landslides. I was blessed to be there, and was reverently in awe the entire time. I remember, and grieve for the suffering. Thanks, Rusted Root and RP!
this one just doesn't get old for me
Guest vocals from Richard Thompson?
 DChas wrote:

simian the whale




That well-known song by the Talking Heads.
 bam23 wrote:

This remains one of the few RP songs that I cannot listen to. Off goes the sound. Why so often?




It seems as if you found the perfect solution!  A LOT of RP listeners like it. Everybody has different tastes!
This remains one of the few RP songs that I cannot listen to. Off goes the sound. Why so often?


Momadisay momadiyah!!!!

Nobody safe, nobody on.
Thought forever this was a song about baseball.
Tracey Chapman/Joan Armatrading "cover"? Or is it just my hearing?

See me on my way/weigh?
All I can hear is "simian whale"
 aaronm wrote:

I'm not sure it's an objectively great song, but I'm going to permanently love it.

When I was in my second year of graduate school, we had a set of enormous, daunting, terrifying exams.  I was scared out of my mind when they came up, and when I took them, I was pretty sure I had failed.

Long story short, it turned out that I was wrong, and I passed.  When I found that out, the first thing I did was get into my car and play this song (I'm not sure why).  Because of this, it's inextricably linked in my mind with one of the very happiest moments of my life, and I can't help but feel an overwhelming sense of joy / relief when I hear it years later. 


Cool story, but I'm not sure if any song can be "objectively great".
Please STOP Playing this song 5 times a week...! Ahhhhhhh...! It's not a bad tune to hear every once in a while; like once a month at best...?
There are a few songs that I consider staples of Radio Paradise because:

– I never ever hear them anywhere else;
– they are weird and quirky and part of me does not really want to like them, but within the RP playlist they somehow just work;
– I would totally miss them if they would be removed from the playlist.

This is definitely one of these songs.
Simian away!
I've always wondered what he was saying in the bumbiddy-say bumbiddy-ah part, but never actually looked at the lyrics until today I realized I can finally scroll down and find out. Turns out it's momadisay momadiyah ... 
Simian on the way
quit exzellent and genius- love to dance this music too- lets push through
 lily34 wrote:


because the Talking Heads are actually good.

In spite of David being such a dick at times
Sounds like a cross between Talking Heads and Spirit of the West!
With lots of mis-heard lyrics.
simeonmeewae
sounds like the tired and tedious voice of mr byrne, musical genius that he is , . . 
 timmus wrote:

How is this not Talking Heads?



because the Talking Heads are actually good.
 majortom505 wrote:

The Worst song EVER!!!!!!



AGREED
How is this not Talking Heads?
 awhfman wrote:

Finally, I know what he's singing!

Momadisay momadiyah!




I'll also sleep better for knowing this.
Finally, I know what he's singing!

Momadisay momadiyah!
 MayBaby wrote:

Yep. I came here to see if anyone else thought so. Cool.

Yup.
Same here.
 Laptopdog wrote:

Perfect tune for driving down the Interstate...
"Semi in my way, semi in my way..."




LOL! I agree! Too funny!   
 Laptopdog wrote:

Perfect tune for driving down the Interstate...
"Semi in my way, semi in my way..."



Haha.  Getta outta my way!
Love that you are playing Rusted Root. But there are many great RR tunes, not just Send Me on my Way. Check out Faith I Do Believe, Who Do You Tell it To, When I Woke,  Scattered or Weave. Thanks for the music Bill. 
 rushfan wrote:

This  was the last song at our wedding, love it! 



Oh that's a great one ☺️
awful.
for years I simian way, and thought it was a reference to our ape ancestry. 
 NeuroJoe wrote:

We usually hear things as we *want* to hear them.... 


Nobody safe, nobody on.
 Ihatethissong wrote:

The singer's voice brims with a joyful exuberance that annoys the hell out of me.

so sayeth this grouchy mcpoopy pants 



Is that you Joe?
don't like  this guy's voice . . .skip . . .  (thanks for the Skip feature)
this song ALWAYS reminds me of Ice age - my childhood
You can't have watched Matilda with your 7 year old daughter and think that this song is anything other than a 9 or 10 
 TAI wrote:

Momadisay momadiyah    = sound a liitle like baseball   "NOBODY SAFE NOBODY ON"



That's all I can hear now every time I hear this song- and I think that's a hoot! 
Always thought this was David Byrne and Talking Heads until just now
 timmus wrote:

Who's this Simian Aweh and why does he want to hold his own hand?




Too funny!  ...Good tune!
Who's this Simian Aweh and why does he want to hold his own hand?
Just the essence of funky 90s music I grew up listening to. Sounds so familiar in a multiverse of ways 
Talking heads and Paul Simon had a Lady Smith Black Mambaza baby
Good stuff
Simian my way
Good Tune! I used to hear it on the radio a lot, but never knew who they were.  Thank You RP!
Always a treat when this song plays :)
The other day I heard this, (Francis Bebey's The Coffee Cola Song) and I couldn't believe how close they were. I am not talking about copying or imitating, I just like it when there's almost a dialogue between songs :)  
 aaronm wrote:

I'm not sure it's an objectively great song, but I'm going to permanently love it.

When I was in my second year of graduate school, we had a set of enormous, daunting, terrifying exams.  I was scared out of my mind when they came up, and when I took them, I was pretty sure I had failed.

Long story short, it turned out that I was wrong, and I passed.  When I found that out, the first thing I did was get into my car and play this song (I'm not sure why).  Because of this, it's inextricably linked in my mind with one of the very happiest moments of my life, and I can't help but feel an overwhelming sense of joy / relief when I hear it years later. 


Eight years after this post, and nearly fifteen years after the memory I described, and this feeling still hasn't faded!
 Laptopdog wrote:

Perfect tune for driving down the Interstate...
"Semi in my way, semi in my way..."



Have kept this cassette in my car for years, use it to start many voyages...check out "Drum Trip" at the beginning too. High Energy!
 Ihatethissong wrote:

The singer's voice brims with a joyful exuberance that annoys the hell out of me.

so sayeth this grouchy mcpoopy pants 

hahaha you just made me laugh out load. Damn that joyful exuberance!

"They're all mistakes, children! Filthy, nasty things. Glad I never was one." Agatha Trunchbull
Thanx for the lyrics! ...I never had the slightest clue of what they were singing!
 idiot_wind wrote:

Are they singing "simian way"? 

This song is about bonobos? 

Wow!




Goat Boy!🐐
How in the heck has this truly middling inconsequential piece of fluff generated almost 500 listener comments?  It's worth about 8 letters, let alone a sentence or two.

Anyways, I'll summarize so you don't have to read, David Byrne, Talking Heads, Matilda, simians, baseball lingo, crappy live.

Theere, now go back to your business.  And please let's all just stop commenting on "this sounds like that".  It just inspires more of it...cheers.

(please upvote this so it can float to the top...like a PSA thing, k? thanks)  

 samsara28 wrote:


Me too!!!


me too! 
 Ihatethissong wrote:

The singer's voice brims with a joyful exuberance that annoys the hell out of me.

so sayeth this grouchy mcpoopy pants 




sounds a lot like Cher when Sunny brimmed with joyful exuberance
Ice Age!
 mrctrm wrote:

I always thought it was Talking Heads as well... I was actually 101% sure...



You need a better sound system
This song so powerfully places me back in the 90s, where it was inescapable, that I drink a Boku fruit juice and put on some JNCOs.
 Egctheow wrote:
 
 


I thought this was Talking Heads too when I first heard this song. I think it was featured in "George of the Jungle". 

 mjbaumann wrote:
WTF is Momadisay momadiyah?? Anybody? Anybody at all?

Does it have anything to do with what sounds to me like "Semen on My Leg (on my leg)"?
 
We usually hear things as we *want* to hear them.... 
 countyman wrote:
A group from here in my hometown of Pittsburgh.  Michael Glabicki, Jim Donavan, Liz Berlin, and Jenn Wertz still doing good things in 2020 with side projects and new bands.
 
Saw RR three years ago at Stratton Mountain in VT, they still put on a great show!
 idiot_wind wrote:
Are they singing "simian way"? 

This song is about bonobos? 

Wow!
 
I thought is was "Simeon and the Whale" until just now.  Wasn't sure who Simeon was and why he had a whale, nor why this guy wants to hold hands with Simeon, or perhaps the whale.
Just so many lyrics in the song with multiple audible interpretations.
Yodeling at times I think.  
Plus the flute/piccolo or pan flute maybe a slide whistle.

Fun tune.
 idiot_wind wrote:
Are they singing "simian way"? 

This song is about bonobos? 

Wow!
 Holy hell, I had the same thought!
Are they singing "simian way"? 

This song is about bonobos? 

Wow!
From my hometown.  Saw them a few times.  Always  a good show.
Haha, I thought it was a baseball reference..."nobody safe nobody on"!!

mjbaumann wrote:
WTF is Momadisay momadiyah?? Anybody? Anybody at all?

Does it have anything to do with what sounds to me like "Semen on My Leg (on my leg)"?
 

Wonderful '90s gibberish. I was there. 
Not a bad song, but this is some short rotation. It says here it's been played 4 times in the past month. I swear I must have heard each of those plays...
WTF is Momadisay momadiyah?? Anybody? Anybody at all?

Does it have anything to do with what sounds to me like "Semen on My Leg (on my leg)"?
I only ever knew who these guys were for the longest time because they were immediately behind RUSH in the record store bins. Finally got to HEAR them here on RP! Yay! 
I never pass up the chance to see these folks live when they come to town. Always fun, sometimes funky, high energy and full of love.  great band that is still very accessible to get up front and boogie with. 
 mrctrm wrote:
I always thought it was Talking Heads as well... I was actually 101% sure...
 

Oh stop making sense!!
This  was the last song at our wedding, love it! 
I always thought it was Talking Heads as well... I was actually 101% sure...
 samsara28 wrote:


Me too!!!
 
Funny....how folks hear differently....I thought lead Glabicki sounds very Paul Simon - ish. Depends on song, I guess!! And, a good one, either way!! ✌️
 the_jake wrote:
Momadisay momadiyah.

Momadisay momadiyah.

Momadisay momadiyah.
 

That's right.
Momadisay momadiyah.

Momadisay momadiyah.

Momadisay momadiyah.
A group from here in my hometown of Pittsburgh.  Michael Glabicki, Jim Donavan, Liz Berlin, and Jenn Wertz still doing good things in 2020 with side projects and new bands.
Little bit like UB 40
 alisathegreat wrote:
I feel like this is played every day! 
 
If I hear it once every third year, it is too much for me.   I'm glad others love it.  I just can't....like a fingernail screetching across the blackboard for me.  
;)


 Punkysoup wrote:


I was thinking this was a Talking Heads song at first!
 
MeToo!
 hschlossberg wrote:
Vocal reminds me of a cross between David Byrne and Chris Isaac.  And I like it!
 

I was thinking this was a Talking Heads song at first!
 samsara28 wrote:


Me too!!!
 

 ScottFromWyoming wrote:
Heard just the faintest buzzing of a song with the volume in the office down way low, and thought, Hm, Radiohead's Creep. Oh, so wrong.
 

 LaurieinTucson wrote:
c
same hear

 

 Dazzerb wrote:
always thought this was Talking Heads.
 
I thought it was Bryan Ferry
The singer's voice brims with a joyful exuberance that annoys the hell out of me.

so sayeth this grouchy mcpoopy pants 
Sounds a little like Joan Armatrading.
Heard just the faintest buzzing of a song with the volume in the office down way low, and thought, Hm, Radiohead's Creep. Oh, so wrong.
 DChas wrote:
simian the whale
 
Oh good, it's not just me!      


Ice age <3
Vocal reminds me of a cross between David Byrne and Chris Isaac.  And I like it!
I feel like this is played every day! 
Momma did say, Momma did yah.
And I always thought it was Joan Armatrading.  
 DChas wrote:
simian the whale
 

Yeah, like "simian stroll in "Lippy Kids" by Elbow!!!
worked with the root in the 90s. great band.
simian the whale
Perfect tune for driving down the Interstate...
"Semi in my way, semi in my way..."
 Noni163 wrote:
Talking Heads copy
 
Holy moly! I've been listening to this record (although not recently) since it came out and I never realized that before! You're totally right!
Talking Heads copy
 TAI wrote:
Momadisay momadiyah    = sound a liitle like baseball   "NOBODY SAFE NOBODY ON"
 
Yep. I came here to see if anyone else thought so. Cool.
This whole album is tremendous! At low points in life it has buoyed me up and helped re-inspire me. Thank you for giving it a 'spin.'
I probably need to read the other comments to "get it".  But, I honestly cannot stand this song and do not understand why it is so well liked.  I even saw them in concert and was underwhelmed.  

And, to boot, what does "Well, I would like to hold my little hand" mean exactly?

These words, the whole thing, makes no sense to me.  It's ok if lyrics make no sense if the music and voice sound great, but this too, ranks a -1 for me.
 Dazzerb wrote:
always thought this was Talking Heads.
 

Me too!!!
always thought this was Talking Heads.
 DrLex wrote:
It's been too long since someone made this comment:
Simian away
Simian my way
Simmy and the whale 

 
I hadn't seen this comment, but that's what I thought - Simian Way...
Still a fun song, mostly because it is in the Matilda movie, which my daughters enjoyed very much when they were little.
Pittsburgh buddies Rusted Root on RP! Yessss.
Please stop singing.
Image result for "rusted root" "send me on my way"
sounds like Talking Heads
 
"Momadisay momadiyah".....so that's why I could never figure out what that lyric was.....
It's a fun, light song.  Unfortunately because of the demise of terrestrial radio (playing a limited number of songs), soundtracks, and songs being sold to companies for commercials, songs like this just end up getting tainted.
pleasantly different
{#Music}
 jelgator wrote:
This song is a lot more irritating than I remember.

 
Yes
This song is a lot more irritating than I remember.
 Oxen1morale wrote:
What is this, Paul Simon and David Byrne?

 
Oh, I thought it was Metallica and Nick Drake.