Da questa parte dell’Atlantico Paul Pena non è molto conosciuto.

Era un artista molto eclettico, che è rimasto impresso a chi lo ha incrociato musicalmente perché a un certo punto dal blues si mise a imparare il canto tuvano e da lì fece un percorso di ricerca che si trova anche documentato nel film Gengis Blues .

Can’t see forty-two, just ‘bout t’go insane
I’ve been down before
Ridin’ along in this big jet plane
I’ve been thinkin’ about jumpin’ out the door
‘Cause my home land is so far away
And I feel like it’s all been done
Somebody’s tryin’ to make me stay
And I’ve got to be on the run

Oh big ol’ jet airliner
Don’t carry me too far away
Oh big ol’ jet airliner
‘Cause it’s here that I’ve got to stay

I’ve been sitting by the fireside
Wonderin’ where my strength is goin’
Looking through the (midlight?),
Tryin’ to find out which way the wind is blowin’
But my heart keeps pushing me backwards
As I jump aboard that 747
Riding high, but with a tear in my eye
You got to go through hell before you get to heaven

Woah, big ol’ jet airliner
Don’t carry me too far away
Oh big ol’ jet airliner
‘Cause it’s here that I’ve got to stay

Oh I know I will
I’m gonna leave on my own this time
Oh, yeah, yeah

Big ol’ jet airliner
Don’t carry me too far away
Big ol’ jet airliner
Here that I’ve got to stay

Goodbye to all my friends at home
Goodbye to people I’ve trusted
I’ve got to go out and make my way
I might get rich you know I might get busted
But my heart keeps calling me backwards
As I get on the 707
Ridin’ high I got tears in my eyes
You know you got to go through hell
Before you get to heaven

Big ol’ jet airliner
Don’t carry me too far away
Oh, Oh big ol’ jet airliner
Cause it’s here that I’ve got to stay

Touchin’ down in New England
Feel the heat comin’ down
First thought is “Lord, I said I’d be there”
But I couldn’t seem to quite get it down
‘Cause I’m goin’ with some hesitation
I’ve got to go and make my way
But there’s so many people, Lord, to talk to
And a whole lotta debts to pay

Oh, big ol’ jet airliner
Don’t carry me too far away
Oh big ol’ jet airliner
‘Cause it’s here that I’ve got to stay

Goodbye to old friends at home
Goodbye to willing friends I’ve trusted
I’ve got to go out and make my way
I might get rich and I might get busted
But I’m going, Lord, with so many things to clean up
I’ve got to make my way clear before me
But I don’t want to get mixed up
In any of that funky shit that goin’ down before me

Oooh, big ol’ jet airliner
Don’t carry me too far away
Big ol’ jet airliner
‘Cause it’s here that I’ve got to stay
(‘Cause it’s California where I’ve got to stay [last time])