For a few months in the early 1980s, Bob Weston was a frequent guest at the Young's home, and on two of those occaisions the three of them collaborated on songs. This was, if memory serves, the first of those; the second was Holocaust.
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Mark was playing the guitar, probably had been doing some other songs, when he started to play a baseline which he thought would be a good song. He began quietly humming what he thought would be the melody, but the others did not hear that, so when he asked for words, Bob began singing the first verse. After four lines, Mark looked for something else to play, and the first verse was finished, coming into what was obviously a hesitation. Someone--it might have been Janet, it might have been Mark--then sang "Don't walk away from me, don't leave me standing here all alone," and they started crafting the second verse. Mark brought in his own feelings about Christians who judge based on appearances, Bob an objection to a particular denomination that tended to be very legalistic, and then Mark put in the objection to Christianity as negative moralizing. The obvious question was "Who is going to tell me what is true?", but it did not fit the meter. The line "which one is true" was considered, but rejected in favor of having all voices repeat "What is true?".
Bob gets credit for the shepherds pulling the wool over the eyes of the seeker. Mark then put in the harder breaker, with the guitar/bass riff, and finally got to bring in the part he thought was going to be the melody, a whine riding above a repeat of the first verse.
When that had been done twice, they looked for a different variation on what they now regarded the bridge, this time as someone sang "Who can tell the shepherds from the wolves?" someone else echoed with "You gotta have a program," and that set the form. On the third line, "but are they listening" was two syllables short, and Janet suggested adding "really" to it; but Mark thought it was better to have the delayed entrance.
Bobby grabbed Mark's bible, a New American Standard Bible, and turned to the passage in Jeremiah that he thought would be perfect for the next part, and it was agreed that it could be recited over the quiet singing of two renditions of the first verse. Then Mark directed the stacking of all three vocal parts for twice around to build to a climax; he then broke it into the soft part about being lost and needing to find the way, and suggested ending the song with the opening line dying in a dropped bass note.
When a song has such complex interactions in the vocals as this one, it is not easy to print the lyrics; but they go something like this:
Walkin’ In the Woods
Verse 1
Walkin’ in the woods in the middle of the night
Try’n’ to find my way back home.
Wishin’ that I had just a little bit of light.
Try’n’ to find my way, get it right, get it right.
Runnin’ into people, say they’ll show me the way,
Take me to the edge of the cliff and walk away.
Don’t walk away from me….
Don’t leave me standin’ here all alone….
Verse 2
This one tells me how to look, and what I ought to say.
That one tells me what to eat, and when to pray.
This one tells me only what I should not ever do.
Who is going to tell me what is true? (spoken) What is true?
Searchin’ for the truth, and all I find is more lies.
Shepherd, are you try’n’ to pull the wool over my eyes?
Don’t tell me how I gotta dress for your show.
Don’t tell me how I gotta look if I go.
Just tell me what I gotta know.
Verse 3
Walkin’ in the woods in the middle of the night
I’m tryin’ to find my way back home.
Try’n’ to find my way back home.
Wishin’ that I had just a little bit of light.
I feel I’m really all alone
Try’n’ to find my way, get it right, get it right.
Who can tell the shepherds from the wolves?
You gotta have a program
Who can tell the shepherds from the sheep?
You gotta take a close look
Who can tell the shepherds what to do?
But are they list’ning?
Who can tell the shepherds are asleep?
You gotta read the big book
Verse 4
Walkin’ in the woods in the middle of the night
Whoa to the shepherds who are destroying and scattering
Try’n’ to find my way back home.
The sheep of my pasture, declares the Lord
Wishin’ that I had just a little bit of light.
Therefore, thus says the Lord God of Israel concerning
Try’n’ to find my way, get it right, get it right.
The shepherds who are tending my people, you have
Walkin’ in the woods in the middle of the night
Scattered my flock, and driven them away,
Try’n’ to find my way back home.
And have not attended to them. Therefore, I am about
Wishin’ that I had just a little bit of light.
To attend to you for the evil of your deeds
Try’n’ to find my way, get it right, get it right.
Declares the Lord
Verse 5
Walkin’ in the woods in the middle of the night
I’m tryin’ to find my way back home.
Don’t walk a-
Try’n’ to find my way back home.
-way from me, Don’t leave me
Wishin’ that I had just a little bit of light.
I feel I’m really all alone
Standin’ here all alone, Don’t walk a-
Try’n’ to find my way, get it right, get it right.
-way from me Don’t leave me
Walkin’ in the woods in the middle of the night
I’m tryin’ to find my way back home.
Don’t walk a-
Try’n’ to find my way back home.
-way from me, Don’t leave me
Wishin’ that I had just a little bit of light.
I feel I’m really all alone
Standin’ here all alone, Don’t walk a-
Try’n’ to find my way, get it right, get it right.
-way from me....
I’m lost and need to find the way.
I’m lost and need to find the way.
Verse 6
Walkin’ in the woods in the middle of the night....