Dead To The World

Dead to the world my body was sleeping
on my mind was nothing at all
come a mist an aire so appealing
I'm here a whispering you summouned I called

I formed me a presence whose aspect was changing
oh he would shift he would not shift at all
we sat for a while he was very engaging
and when he was gone I was gone on a smile

With a strange way of walking
and a strange way of breathing
more lives than a cat
that let me astray
all in all he captured my heart
dead to the world and just
slipped away

I heard me a music that drew me to dancing
lo I turned under his spell
I opened my coat but he never came closer
I bolted the door and whispered oh well

With a strange way of walking
and a strange way of breathing
more lives than a cat
that let me astray
all in all he captured my heart
dead to the world and just
slipped away

I laid in the rushes the air was upon me
wondering well I just couldn't discern
will he come back come back to me
oh I whispered will you ever return

I was feeling sensations in no dictionary
he was less than a breath of shimmer and smoke
the life in his fingers unwound my existence
dead to the world alive I awoke

With a strange way of walking
and a strange way of breathing
less than a breath of shimmer and smoke
the life in his fingers unwound my existence
dead to the world alive I awoke
alive I awoke
alive alive I awoke
alive I awoke
alive I awoke
alive
I awoke
I awoke
alive I awoke
alive alive-o
alive alive-o

Wing

I was a wing in heaven blue
soared over the ocean
soared over Spain
and I was free
needed nobody
it was beautiful
it was beautiful

I was a pawn
didn't have a move
didn't have nowhere
that I could go
but I was free
I needed nobody
it was beautiful
it was beautiful

and if there's one thing
could do for you
you'd be a wing
in heaven blue

I was a vision
in another eye
and they saw nothing
no future at all
yet I was free
I needed nobody
it was beautiful
it was beautiful

and if there's one thing
could do for you
you'd be a wing
in heaven blue

and if there's one thing
could do for you
you'd be a wing
in heaven blue

and if there's one thing
could do for you
you'd be a wing
in heaven blue

Ravens

Common fortune seeks us all
and slips our binding rings
we'll turn our heads
and make us reel
we'll bare our arms as wings

before our feet a feather drifts
beyond us it will fall
cause time will bid and make us rise
make ravens of us all

My love he breathed the air of kings
yet fell beneath his luck
and in his heart a yearning yet
before his time time shook
all the gifts that God had gave
and those by fate denied
gone to where all treasures laid
and where the raven flies

oh there are places I agree
where I have yet to roam
the Egyptian field
the arctic sea where shadows
haunt and moan
but none but sky
I have to go
should I return to thee
gone to where the feather flies
to all eternity
but for a time I got more time
till I a raven be

cause time will bid and make us rise
make ravens of us all
and time will bid and make us fly
make ravens of us all
and time will bid and make us fly
make ravens of us all

Wicked Messenger

There was a wicked messenger
From eli he did come,
With a mind that multiplied
The smallest matter.
When questioned who had sent for him,
He answered with his thumb,
For his tongue it could not speak, but only flatter.

He stayed behind the assembly hall,
It was there he made his bed,
Oftentimes he could be seen returning.
Until one day he just appeared
With a note in his hand which read,
'the soles of my feet, I swear they're burning.'

Oh, the leaves began to fallin'
And the seas began to part,
And the people that confronted him were many.
And he was told but these few words,
Which opened up his heart,
'if ye cannot bring good news, then don't bring any.'

Fireflies

I been walking
wherefore am I walking
I been walking

If you see me walking
a-walking a-walking
if you see me walking

Don't avert your eyes
don't turn away
don't turn away
I'm coming to you
oh-oh oh oh
oh-oh oh to you

Living in steps
till I can rest
living in steps
till I'm blessed by you

I and I alone
can but do for you
to twist in my hand
the thorn of thy youth
to draw thy seed
to turn in birth
thy sighs
(living in steps)
thy moans
till we can rest
living in steps
till I'm by you

all I ever wanted

I and I alone
I will wash your feet
and dry them with my hair
I will give to you
every other tear
thy breath thy spear
thy season of mirth
seven steps
until I can rest
seven steps
til I am blessed by you
all I ever wanted
I wanted I wanted
all I ever wanted
I wanted for you

oh-wo-wo ...
oh-wo-wo ...
all I ever wanted
I wanted for you

five steps
till I can rest
five steps
till I'm blessed by you

four steps
till I can rest
four steps
till I'm blessed by you

all I ever wanted
I wanted I wanted
all I ever wanted
I wanted for you

I and I alone
ghost of thy ghost
walk I will walk
a burning stem
to illume thy night
(three steps...)
blood of my blood
bone of my bone
(three steps...)
can but do for you
I and I alone

two steps
till I can rest
two steps
till I'm blessed by you

oh oh oh ...
can but do for you
I and I alone

Farewell Reel

It's been a hard time
and when it rains
it rains on me
the sky just opens
and when it rains
it pours

I walk alone
assaulted it seems
by tears from heaven
and darling I can't help
thinking those tears are yours

Our wild love came from above
and wilder still
is the wind that howls
like a voice that knows it's gone
cause darling you died
and well I cried
but I'll get by
salute our love
and send you a smile
and move on

So darling farewell
all will be well
and then all will be fine
the children will rise
strong and happy be sure
cause your love flows
and the corn still grows
and God only knows
we're only given
as much as the heart can endure

But I don't know why
but when it rains
it rains on me
the sky just opens
and when it rains
it pours

But I look up
and a rainbow appears
like a smile from heaven
and darling I can't
help thinking that smile
is yours

Waiting Underground

If you believe all your hope is gone
down the drain of your humankind
the time has arrived
you'll be waiting here as I was
in a snow-white shroud
waiting underground

there by the ridge be a gathering beneath the pilgrim moon
where we shall await the beat of your feet hammering the earth
where the great ones tremble
in their snow-white shrouds
waiting underground

if you seek the kingdom come, come along
waiting by the ridge there'll be a gathering
beneath the pilgrim moon
where the [railroad] thunders

oh where we shall await the beat of your feet hammering the earth
and as the earth resounds where the great ones tremble
and your humankind becomes as one
and then we will arise
in our snow-white shrouds
when we'll be as one
but until that day we will just await
in our snow-white shrouds
waiting underground
in our snow-white shrouds
waiting underground

Waiting underground
Waiting underground
Waiting underground
Waiting underground
Waiting underground
Waiting underground

Whirl Away

hello friend I've come a-calling
passively stationed
active patrol
sliding in at high noon like some reluctant sheriff
not want to get involved in it all

who stands guard for each other
why must we guard anything at all
anything at all

from the earth's four corners the people are calling
forming equations but the questions are hard
all men are brothers killing each other
and mother earth is wringing in wonder

who stands guard for each other
why must we guard anything at all
anything at all
whirl away now
whirl away now
whirl away now
whirl away

there's a cross on the road
there's a great mill turning
some seeking answers
some born to dancers
you can hold on the blade and turn around forever
be flung into space into another kind of grace

who stands guard for each other
why must we guard anything at all
anything at all
whirl away now
whirl away now
whirl away now
whirl away
whirl away now
whirl away now
whirl away now
whirl away

some giveth their hand
some giveth their land
some giveth their life
you lay in the fields of grain
the staff of life all around you
but yet you, you will cut someone down
for their possessions
some material thing
and our children are being blown away
like wishes in the wind
for the sake of their coat
or the colors of their coat
or the color of their skin
or the name on their shoes
and the mother cries "Why they taken my son?"
and the father wonders "Are they taking my boy?"
he extended his hand
he gave them his land
he gave them his bread
he gave them his heart
said hello friend
hello friend
hello friend
hello friend.
hello friend

1959

Listen to my story. Got two tales to tell.
One of fallen glory. One of vanity.
The world's roof was raging, but we were looking fine;
'Cause we built that thing and it grew wings,
in Nineteen-Fifty-Nine.

Wisdom was a teapot; Pouring from above.
Desolation angels
Served it up with Love.
Ignitin'[g strife] like every form of light,
then moved by bold design,
slid in that thing and it grew wings,
in Nineteen-Fifty-Nine.

It was Blood, shining in the Sun;
First: Freedom!
Speeding the american claim:
Freedom; Freedom; Freedom; Freedom!

China was the tempest; [And] Madness overflowed.
[The] Lama was a young man,
and [he] watched his world in flames.
Taking Glory down by the edge of clouds;
It was a cryin'[g] shame.
Another lost horizon. Tibet the fallen star.
Wisdom and compassion Crushed, in the land of Shangri-La.
But in the land of the Impala, honey, well,
we were lookin' Fine,
'cause we built that thing and it grew wings;
In Nineteen-Fifty-Nine.
'Cause we built that thing and it grew wings;
In Nineteen-Fifty-Nine.

It was the best of times, it's [was] the worst of times;
In 1959; 1959; 1959; 1959; 1959; 1959; 1959.
It was the best of times; It was the worst of times.
[In] Nineteen-Fifty-Nine.

Spell

Holy! Holy! Holy! Holy!
Holy! Holy! Holy! Holy!
Holy! Holy! Holy! Holy!
Holy! Holy! Holy!

The world is holy!
The soul is holy!
The skin is holy!
The nose is holy!
The tongue and cock and hand
and asshole holy!
Everything is holy!
everybody's holy!
everywhere is holy!
everyday is in eternity!
Everyman's an angel!

The bum's as holy as the seraphim!
the madman is holy as you my soul are holy!
The typewriter is holy
the poem is holy
the voice is holy
the hearers are holy
the ecstasy is holy!

Holy Peter holy Allen
holy Solomon holy Lucien
holy Kerouac holy Huncke
holy Burroughs holy Cassady
holy the unknown buggered
and suffering beggars
holy the hideous human angels!
Holy my mother in the insane asylum!
Holy the cocks of the grandfathers of Kansas!
Holy the groaning saxophone!
Holy the bop apocalypse!
Holy the jazzbands marijuana
hipsters peace & junk & drums!

Holy the solitudes of skyscrapers and pavements!
Holy the cafeterias filled with the millions!
Holy the mysterious rivers of tears under the streets!
Holy the lone juggernaut!
Holy the vast lamb of the middle class!
Holy the crazy shepherds of rebellion
Who digs Los Angeles IS Los Angeles!
Holy New York Holy San Francisco
Holy Peoria & Seattle
Holy Paris Holy Tangiers
Holy Moscow Holy Istanbul!

Holy time in eternity
holy eternity in time
holy the clocks in space
holy the fourth dimension
holy the fifth International
holy the Angel in Moloch!

Holy the sea holy the desert
holy the railroad holy the locomotive
holy the visions holy the hallucinations
holy the miracles holy the eyeball
holy the abyss!

Holy forgiveness! mercy! charity! faith!
Holy! Ours! bodies! suffering! magnanimity!
Holy the supernatural extra brilliant intelligent
kindness of the soul!