Chorus: And it’s all downhill from here.
(We’re losing altitude)
And it’s all downhill from here.
(We’re losing altitude)

1. Whatever goes up must come back down.
It’s late but nothing’s gonna change that now.
We’ve been to the summit, now it’s back to the flatlands.
Back to the base camp, back to my dad’s van.
Back down to the town, back to the motel,
To the road and the homes that we know well.
To the short-term plans we devise with our own hands.
Back to your regularly scheduled program.

Chorus

2. The sun dips below the peaks behind you.
And terrain you recognize only serves to remind you
Of the long rugged miles that still remain
Until you can really rest and acknowledge the pain.
I’m inclined to believe that we’re on the decline
As we follow switchbacks down to the tree line.
And the animals pause as they turn to flee
’Cause they catch a quick whiff of the summit on me.

Chorus

3. And the descent always goes by in a blur
Like you wake from a dream and you’re right where you were
When you stood at the base of the mountain and you thought,
“By the time I get back I’ll have been to the top.”
Now I shrug that backpack off of my shoulders.
Might not be wiser but I sure feel older.
And I’m back where I started but it wasn’t in vain,
’Cause no trip to the summit ever leaves you the same.

Chorus

4. a) And you feel like a stone sinking to the bottom of a lake.
But your stride doesn’t break.
You anticipate the end around every bend.
Predict and amend and amend and amend.
Your walk is a controlled stumble.
Your face either drained or humble.
Complete the circuit, close the loop.
You tasted the fruit but you belong with the roots.

b) And your mind wanders up, you recall the feeling
Of standing at arm’s reach from the Earth’s ceiling.
Your whole life below you, above only space
And you realized then the summit’s a lonely place.
Nobody lives there, nobody stays long.
They soak up as much as they can and then they’re gone.
Back to their day jobs and their sea-level hobbies
In an elevator from the penthouse to the lobby.

c) Call it a “return to form” or “backsliding.”
Back to the grind or back into hiding.
Back to the mines or a life of leisure.
God help me, I’m feeling eager.
The laws of physics help to hasten us.
Night follows dusk and it chases us.
Not a fall from grace but a long descent.
Back to the old lows you cannot prevent.
And now it seems like at least a week.
Since posing for photos on the peak.
But it’s only been at most an hour
And all the pictures have lost their power.
Here’s another group climbing the slope.
They want to know if they’re getting close.
We just shrug and hold our tongues
’Cause when you’re close, you’re close to done.

d) It’s hard to focus on what we accomplished.
Were we set free or taken hostage?
Were we shown a glimpse of splendor
Just to descend and forget to remember?
I don’t know and I wish I cared.
I could not see my house from there.
I could not find it within to imagine
Why I’m attracted to distraction.
But as the valley floor gets closer
My expectations get lower.
Back to the muck and back to the masses.
Back to the taxes, back to the ashes.
But also back to all the reasons
I believe in what I believe in.
You only know the worth of the summit
After you conquer and come back from it.

Chorus (2x)

You can find me at the base of the mountain.
Look for me at the foot of the hill.