Chris Cockburn, the main character in the novel The Song Is Ended, is eight years older. He buys a 1970 Honda CB750, Candy Ruby Red, and sets off on a trip from North Dakota to New Orleans and back. He meets bikers, waitresses, gas station attendants, preachers, pimps, prostitutes and policemen, the common people of America, as well seeing some places significant in the cultural history of the United States. More importantly, he discovers a theme over one hundred and thirty years old that, if adopted, could enhance the moral fiber of American life.