Oh my EB However did you know that Bob Dylan
is and always has been my most spectacular favorite
musician, ( always a message in every song he sang )
Tunes that I SO love like this one:
Perhaps it's the color of the sun cut flat
An' cov'rin' the crossroads I'm standing at,
Or maybe it's the weather or something like that,
But mama, you been on my mind.
I don't mean trouble, please don't put me down, don't get upset,
I am not pleading or saying that "I can't forget you."
I do not walk the floor bowed down and bent, but yet,
Mama, you been on my mind.
Even though my mind is hazy and my thoughts they might be narrow,
Where you been don't bother me nor bring me down in sorrow.
I don't even mind who you'll be waking with tomorrow,
But mama, you're just on my mind.
I am not askin' you to say words like "yes" or "no,"
Please understand me, I have no place I'm callin' you to go.
I'm just whispering to myself so I can pretend that I don't know,
Mama, you been on my mind.
When you wake up in the mornin' and look inside your mirror,
You know I won't be next to you, no, I won't be near.
I'd just be curious to know if you can see yourself as clear
As someone who has had you on his mind.
Or how about Every Grain of Sand?
In the time of my confession, in the hour of my deepest need
When the pool of tears beneath my feet flood every newborn seed
There's a dyin' voice within me reaching out somewhere,
Toiling in the danger and in the morals of despair.
Don't have the inclination to look back on any mistake,
Like Cain, I now behold this chain of events that I must break.
In the fury of the moment I can see the Master's hand
In every leaf that trembles, in every grain of sand.
Oh, the flowers of indulgence and the weeds of yesteryear,
Like criminals, they have choked the breath of conscience and good cheer.
The sun beat down upon the steps of time to light the way
To ease the pain of idleness and the memory of decay.
I gaze into the doorway of temptation's angry flame
And every time I pass that way I always hear my name.
Then onward in my journey I come to understand
That every hair is numbered like every grain of sand.
I have gone from rags to riches in the sorrow of the night
In the violence of a summer's dream, in the chill of a wintry light,
In the bitter dance of loneliness fading into space,
In the broken mirror of innocence on each forgotten face.
I hear the ancient footsteps like the motion of the sea
Sometimes I turn, there's someone there, other times it's only me.
I am hanging in the balance of the reality of man
Like every sparrow falling, like every grain of sand.
A relatively new voice in the spirit of message
music would be the music of Tracy Chapman,
this one is called "All That You Have Is Your Soul"
And even though this one may not have been a
big mainstream hit - it sure deserved to be one.
I think people just don't like to hear what is too true.
ALL THAT YOU HAVE IS YOUR SOUL, by Tracy Chapman;
Oh my mama told me
'Cause she say she learned the hard way
Say she wanna spare the children
She say don't give or sell your soul away
'Cause all that you have is your soul
Don't be tempted by the shiny apple
Don't you eat of a bitter fruit
Hunger only for a taste of justice
Hunger only for a world of truth
'Cause all that you have is your soul
I was a pretty young girl once
I had dreams I had high hopes
I married a man he stole my heart away
He gave his love but what a high price I paid
And all that you have is your soul
Why was I such a young fool
Thought I'd make history
Making babies was the best I could do
Thought I'd made something that could be mine forever
Found out the hard way one can't possess
Thought I'd make history
Making babies was the best I could do
Thought I'd made something that could be mine forever
Found out the hard way one can't possess another
And all that you have is your soul
I thought thought that I could find a way
To beat the system
To make a deal and have no debts to pay
I'd take it all take it all I'd run away
Me for myself first class and first rate
But all that you have is your soul
Here I am waiting for a better day
A second chance
A little luck to come my way
A hope to dream a hope that I can sleep again
And wake in the world with a clear conscience and clean hands
'Cause all that you have is your soul
All that you have
All that you have
All that you have
Is your soul
Another contemporary great singer/songwriter
MR BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN
from the 1980 album with the same name
THE RIVER;
I come from down in the valley
Where mister, when you're young
They bring you up to do like your daddy done
Me and Mary we met in high school
When she was just seventeen
We'd drive out of this valley down to where the fields are green
We'd go down to the river
And into the river we'd dive
Oh down to the river we'd ride
Then I got Mary pregnant
And, man, that was all she wrote
And for my 19th birthday I got a union card and a wedding coat
We went down to the courthouse
And the judge put it all to rest
No wedding day smiles, no walk down the aisle
No flowers, no wedding dress
That night we went down to the river
And into the river we'd dive
Oh down to the river we'd ride
I got a job working construction for the Johnstown Company
But lately there ain't been much work on account of the economy
Now all them things that seemed so important
Well, mister they vanished right into the air
Now I act like I don't remember
Mary acts like she don't care
But I remember us riding in my brother's car
Her body tan and wet down at the reservoir
At night on them banks I'd lie awake
And pull her close just to feel each breath she'd take
Now those memories come back to haunt me
They haunt me like a curse
Is a dream a lie if it don't come true
Or is it something worse
That sends me
Down to the river
Though I know the river is dry
That sends me down to the river tonight
Down to the river
My baby and I
Oh down to the river we ride
Is a dream a lie if it don't come true
Or is it something worse
That sends me
Down to the river
Though I know the river is dry
That sends me down to the river tonight
Down to the river
My baby and I
Oh down to the river we ride
And a delightful voice, from the young
woman who did one of the voices in Toy Story,
Sarah McLachlan, singing DEAR GOD:
Dear God,
Hope you got the letter and
I pray you can make it better down here.
I don't mean a big reduction in the price of beer
But all the people that you made in your image,
See them starving on their feet
'Cause they don't get enough to eat
From God
I can't believe in you.
Dear God,
Sorry to disturb you, but
I feel that I should be heard loud and clear.
We all need a big reduction in the amount of tears
And all the people that you made in your image,
See them fighting in the street
'Cause they can't make opinions meet
About God,
I can't believe in you.
Did you make disease, and the diamond blue?
Did you make mankind after we made you?
And the devil too?!
Dear God,
Don't know if you noticed, but...
Your name is on a lot of quotes in this book,
Us crazy humans wrote it, you should take a look,
And all the people that you made in your image,
Still believing that junk is true
Well I know it ain't, and so do you
Dear God,
I can't believe in...
I don't believe in...
I won't believe in heaven and hell.
No saints, no sinners, no devil as well.
No pearly gates, no thorny crown.
You're always letting us humans down.
The wars you bring, the babes you drown.
Those lost at sea and never found,
And it's the same the whole world 'round.
The hurt I see helps to compound
That Father, Son and Holy Ghost
Is just somebody's unholy hoax
And if you're up there you'd perceive
That my heart's here upon my sleeve.
If there's one thing I don't believe in.....
It's you.....
Dear God.
Those are wonderful songs. Thanks.
MY LIFE by Phil Ochs
My life was once a joy to me
Never knowing I was growing every day
My life was once a toy to me
And I wound it and I found it ran away
So I raced through the night
With a face at my feet Like a god I would write
All the melodies were sweet and the women were white
It was easy to survive My life was so alive
My life was once a flag to me
And I waved it and behaved like I was told
My life was once a drag to me
And I loudly and proudly lost control
I was drawn by a dream
I was loved by a lie Every serf on the scene
Begged me to buy
But I slipped through the scheme
So lucky to fail
My life was not for sale
My life is now a myth to me
Like the drifter with his laughter in the dawn
My life is now a death to me
So now I'll hold it and I'll mold it 'til I'm born
So I turn to the land
Where I'm so out of place
Throw a curse on the plan
In return for the grace
To know where I stand
Take everything I own
Take your tap from my phone
And leave my life alone
My life alone
SKY PILOT recorded by the Animals
He blesses the boys as they stand in line
The smell of gun grease and the bayonettes they shine
HeUFFFF92s there to help him all that he can
To make them feel wanted heUFFFF92s a good holy man
Sky pilot sky pilot
How high can you fly
You HFFFF92ll never never never reach the sky
He smiles at the young soldiers
Tells them it's all right
He knows of their fear in the forthcoming fight
Soon there UFFFF92ll ne blood and many will die
Mothers and fathers back home they will cry
Sky pilot sky pilot
How high can you fly
YouUFFFF92ll never never never reach the sky
He mumbles a prayer and ends it with a smile
The order is given
They move down the line
But heUFFFF92s still behind and heUFFFF92ll meditate
But it wonUFFFF92t stop the bleeding or ease the hate
As the young men move out into the battle zone
He feels good with God youUFFFF92re never alone
He feels tired and he lays on his bed
Hopes the men will find courage in the words that he said
Sky pilot sky pilot
How high can you fly
YouUFFFF92ll never never never reach the sky
YouUFFFF92re soldiers of God you must understand
The fate of your country is in your young hands
May God give you strength
Do your job real well
If it all was worth it
Only time it will tell
In the morning they return
With tears in their eyes
The stench of death drifts up to the skies
A soldier so ill looks at the sky pilot
Remembers the words
Thou shalt not kill
Sky pilot sky pilot
How high can you fly
You'll never never never reach the sky
Tracey Chapman just slays me!
I don't know who the original singer of this one was. I first heard it in the 70s:
I've never been to me...
Hey lady, you lady cursing at your life
You're a discontented mother and a regimented wife
I've no doubt you dream about the things you'll never do
But I wish some one had talked to me like I wanna talk of you
Ooh I've been to georgia and california and, anywhere I could run
I took the hand of a preacher man and we made love in the sun but I ran out of places and friendly faces
Because I had to be free
I've been to paradise
But I've never been to me
Please lady, please, lady
Don't just walk away
Cause I have this need to tell you why I'm all alone today
I can see so much of me
Still living in your eyes
Won't you share a part of a weary heart
That has lived million lies
..
Oh I've been to niece and the isle of greece
While I've sipped champagne on a yacht
I've moved like harlow in monte carlo
And showed 'em what I've got
I've been undressed by kings and I've seen some things that woman ain't supposed to see
I've been to paradise,
But I've never been to me
.
Hey, you know what paraddise is? it's a lie
A fantasy we create about people and places as we'd like them to be
But you know what truth is?
It's that little baby you're holding
It's that man you fought with this morning
The same one you're going to make love with tonight
That's truth, that's love
Sometimes I've been to crying for unborn children that might have made me complete
But i
I took the sweet life
I never knew
I'd be bitter from the sweet
I've spent my life exploring the subtle whoring
That costs too much to be free
hey lady
I've been to paradise
But I've never been to me
I've been to paradise
Never been to me
I've been to georgia and california
And anywhere I could run
I've been to paradise never been to me been to neice ans the isle of greece
While I've sipped champange on a yacht
I've been to paradise never been to to me
(fade)
Well, this one might not be what you're looking for, but it does have a good message.
"The honest and humane songs of Mary J. Blige have blossomed into modern classics, and she, in return, reigns as the undisputed Queen of Hip Hop Soul. She was crowned that back in 1992 and throughout the course of her career, from the brilliant My Life through the powerful Share My World, to the triumphant Mary to No More Drama's blend of prayer and partying, Mary has reclaimed her rights to that crown again and again.
Ask Mary what she wants No More Drama to convey and she thinks for a bit. "I'd like people to be entertained but I'd like them to hear what I'm saying, too. But if it doesn't grab you right away, cool. Just dance to it. Just feel it until you are ready to hear what I have to say .. and then what ever happens will happen."
Family Affair, from No more drama: (The beat is amazing!)
http://www.sing365.com/music/lyric.nsf/SongUnid/86F084E94CAE40D148256B1300227670
Anything Tracy does is alright by me.
Hi edgar..... this is a song that I learned back in the 60's..... I don't know the name of the song or who wrote it..... but, I've been singing it for many many years..... maybe someone here will know it's identity.....
You can see the road dust on my clothes
You can see the long hair on my head
You will know the reason I am here
I have come, I have come,
Not for your land, but for your mind.
You can see your threat in my eyes
You can feel the hatred in your heart
All I offer is my love
I have come, I have come,
Not for your land, but for your mind.
You can tell by what's dark inside of you
You will know I won't share that world with you
And you will say there's a devil after you
When I come, when I come,
Not for your land, but for your mind.
And you will hear the rushing of the tide
And you will see the washing of your mind
And you will feel a fear deep dark down inside
When I come, when I come,
Not for your land, but for your mind.
The forces are gathering all around
They are here to put your darkness down
Why be afraid, why be afraid,
We have come, we have come,
Not for your land, but for your mind.
.....sound familiar to anyone??
I have never heard that. Bet it's nice with music - singin' - and all that stuff.
AVALANCHE
I stepped into an avalanche
It covered up my soul
When I am not this hunchback that you see
I sleep beneath the golden hill
You who wish to conquer pain
You must learn learn to serve me well
You strike my side by accident
As you go down for your gold
The cripple here that you clothe and feed
Is neither starved nor cold
He does not ask for your company
Not at the center the center of the world
When I am on a pedestal
You did not raise me there
Your laws do not compel me
To kneel grotesque and bare
I myself am the pedestal
For this ugly hump at which you stare
You who wish to conquer pain
You must learn what makes me kind
The crumbs of love that you offer me
They're the crumbs I left behind
Your pain is no credential here
It's just the shadow shadow of my wound
I have begun to long for you
I who have no greed
I have begun to ask for you
I who have no need
You say you've gone away from me
But I can feel you when you breathe
Do not dress in those rags for me
I know you are not poor
Don't love me quite so fiercely now
When you know that you are not sure
It is your turn beloved
It is your flesh that I wear
