When Stars Collide - From The Journeyman Soundtrack
I wanted to start this week with a few songs I wrote for the soundtrack to The Journeyman. Don’t miss the excerpt from the book at the end of the stack about how Cindy and I met in Colorado on the California Zephyr in 1985, traded love letters for years, shared time from Florida to Massachusetts, and were forced to part ways after a sudden and unforeseen family tragedy unfolded that took decades to recover from.
“When Stars Collide” is more than just a song—it’s a personal reflection of a love story that spans decades. Inspired by Tim Cooney and Cindy Swanson’s journey of love and destiny, the lyrics evoke the feeling of racing through life’s uncertainties, never knowing exactly when or where a connection will spark. It speaks to those moments when two paths cross unexpectedly, as they did for Tim and Cindy on that fateful train ride.
The train's rhythmic “ clickety-clack “ mirrors the anticipation and pulse built as Tim and Cindy’s worlds drew closer. The song’s themes of searching for a place in the human race and longing for something more reflect the real-life journey of two people finding love and purpose against all odds. Just as their eyes met on that train, and stories were shared through music and laughter, When Stars Collide captures the magic of those rare, serendipitous encounters that change everything.
This song is for anyone who has ever felt love appear like a comet in the night sky—unexpected, brilliant, and unstoppable. The lyrics testify to love’s resilience and the courage to chase what matters most.
When Stars Collide
Oct/4/2023
Sitting on the track, never looking back
Hear the sound of the clickety-clack
Looking for my place in the human race
It’s never easy when you're being chased
Chorus:
That’s when Stars collide
Bringing us to the other side
Stars they collide
You can run, but you can’t hide
Heading down the line, gonna make this world mine
There’s a girl that I gotta find
She’s been in my head, in all the books I read
Then came the day I found her in my bed
Chorus:
That’s when stars collide
Bringing us to the other side
Stars they collide
You can run, but you can’t hide
You were on my mind when love was hard to find
The world was so unkind, I was starting to unwind
I heard you say you wanted me to stay
And you couldn’t wait, another day
Chorus:
That’s when the stars collide
Bringing us to the other side
Stars they collide
You can run, but you can’t hide
You made me see our love was meant to be
There’s a forest, then a tree, so now you’re here with me
Together, we will stay until that final day
When we fade away into a light display
Chorus:
That’s when stars collide
Bringing us to the other side
Stars they collide
You can run, but you can’t hide
