Wednesday, August 9, 2023

With gratitude to Robbie Robertson (1943-2023)


 

Ghost Dance

Crow's brought the message
To the children of the sun
For the return of the buffalo
And for a better day to come
You can kill my body
You can damn my soul
For not believing in your God
And some world down below
You don't stand a chance against my prayers
You don't stand a chance against my love
They outlawed the Ghost Dance
They outlawed the Ghost Dance
But we shall live again, we shall live again
My sister above
But she has red paint
She died at Wounded Knee
Like a Latter-day Saint
You got the big drum in the distance
The blackbird's in the sky
That's a sound that you hear
When the buffalo cry
You don't stand a chance against my prayers
You don't stand a chance against my love
They outlawed the Ghost Dance
They outlawed the Ghost Dance
But we shall live again, we shall live again
We shall live again
Crazy Horse was a mystic (yeah)
He knew the secret of the trance
And Sitting Bull, the great apostle
Of the Ghost Dance
Come on Comanche
Come on Blackfoot
Come on Shoshone
Come on Cheyenne
We shall live again (we shall live again)
We shall live again (we shall live again)
Come on Arapaho
Come on Cherokee
Come on Paiute
Come on Sioux
We shall live again (we shall live again)
You used to do the Ghost Dance
Used to do the Ghost Dance
But we don't sing them kinda songs no more

Robbie Robertson & the Red Road Ensemble

*

In April 1969, R bought tickets for us and we drove up to San Francisco to Winterland to attend one of the first concerts ever given by The Band.  We were 19 years old. 



5 comments:

NewRobin13 said...

It really was such sad news to read the news about Robbie Robertson yesterday. I remember going to see The Band at the Fillmore East in 1969.

Colette said...

Winterland! What a great memory.

am said...

Robin -- We were both fortunate to have that experience hearing The Band in 1969. I remember the good energy they evoked. Just what I needed during a difficult time in so many of our lives.

Joared said...

Lyrics that say much. I recall attending in Scottsdale, AZ an author’s presentation of a new book he had just had published — Bury My Heart At Bended Knee — that soon attracted long overdue attention of many.

37paddington said...

You don't stand a chance against my prayers
You don't stand a chance against my love

I love those lines. They are as powerful a life mantra as any I ever heard. Thank you.