About this episode In this morning's ballad, hear the tale of the Atlanta Wheel—a towering structure that has become a symbol of progress and challenge in the city. Through poetic storytelling, discover the history, recent events, and human stories intertwined with this mighty wheel, reminding us how progress rides on the hopes and struggles of everyday folks. Join the traveling storyteller as they weave a timeless narrative that makes today's news feel both ancient and deeply human.
0:00 The Georgia sun beat down on dusty ground0:04 A nation held its breath to hear a sound0:09 Two old men stood upon a floodlit stage0:14 To turn another torn and troubled page0:18 One lost his words beneath the burning light0:23 The other sharpened knives all through the night0:28 And all the king's men and the anchor's pleas0:32 Were scattered like the leaves upon the breeze0:37 Oh, the wheel of fortune spins and spins again0:42 For the hero's fall and the rise of other men0:47 The ink is barely dry upon the scroll0:51 Before a brand new story takes its toll0:56 It's the same old tune on a different string1:01 The song the weary traveler has to sing1:05 The whispers turned to thunder in the halls1:10 As allies watched the way an empire falls1:15 Not with a bang, but with a faltering phrase1:19 Lost in the memory of bygone days1:24 They're drawing lines and choosing who to back1:29 Putting all the pieces on the rack1:34 A dynasty begins to fray and bend1:38 And wonder if the story's at an end1:43 Oh, the wheel of fortune spins and spins again1:48 For the hero's fall and the rise of other men1:52 The ink is barely dry upon the scroll1:57 Before a brand new story takes its toll2:02 It's the same old tune on a different string2:06 The song the weary traveler has to sing2:11 The black-robed judges sent their rulings down2:16 On who can sleep upon the cold hard ground2:21 The screens we hold, they argued what they mean2:25 Another act in this familiar scene2:30 And out west the fires burn and skies turn gray2:35 While we all wonder what to do today2:39 Oh, the wheel of fortune spins and spins again2:44 For the hero's fall and the rise of other men2:49 The ink is barely dry upon the scroll2:53 Before a brand new story takes its toll2:58 It's the same old tune on a different string3:03 The song the weary traveler has to sing
