Story Behind The Song

Paradise was conceived on Andy Temte's John Deere 1025R tractor while he was mowing the walking paths on his property on June 1st, 2025. As he drove past the wild blackberries in bloom, a spark of inspiration hit and the first lyrics and melody just flowed out. The Temte home sits on 40 acres overlooking the Upper Mississippi River Valley in western Wisconsin, so the turkey, butterflies, wildflowers, blackberries, and coyote mentioned in the tune are all native to the property. The "red sun hangin' in the sky" is a real detail too -- Canadian wildfire haze had been omnipresent for days. Andy and Linda Temte were married in the spring of 1986, both 22 at the time -- hence the reference to the dreams of growing old together and the paradise they would share. Mature love? Well, it ROCKS. Enjoy.

Lyrics

The blackberries are in bloom
I'm on my tractor, it's the 1st of June
I'm ridin' high from the afternoon
Of tracin' lines on your body, serenity surrounds me

The wild flowers are my muse
Turkey's struttin' tryna spread the news
That when I'm with you baby I can't lose
We're stronger together, two birds of a feather

Is this the paradise I dreamt when we were twenty-two?
Is this the place I'll settle down and spend forever with you?
Or is my paradise, just bein' with you?

A red sun is hangin' in the sky
A smoky haze is burnin' in my eyes
My pretty butterfly goes dancin' by,
She grounds my perspective, guides my direction

Is this the paradise I dreamt when we were twenty-two?
Is this the place I'll settle down and spend forever with you?
Or is my paradise, just bein' with you?

A coyote's howlin' at the moon
We're windin' down on the 1st of June
Still feel my buzz from the afternoon
Memorizin' your body, serenity surrounds me

Is this the paradise I dreamt when we were twenty-two?
Is this the place I'll settle down and spend forever with you?
Or is my paradise, just bein' with you?