NEIL YOUNG & THE GRATEFUL DEAD: FOREVER YOUNG

Two legends perform another legend's song.

Forever Young
Written by Bob Dylan

May God bless and keep you always
May your wishes all come true
May you always do for others
And let others do for you
May you build a ladder to the stars
And climb on every rung
May you stay forever young
Forever young, forever young
May you stay forever young.

May you grow up to be righteous
May you grow up to be true
May you always know the truth
And see the lights surrounding you
May you always be courageous
Stand upright and be strong
May you stay forever young
Forever young, forever young
May you stay forever young.

May your hands always be busy
May your feet always be swift
May you have a strong foundation
When the winds of changes shift
May your heart always be joyful
And may your song always be sung
May you stay forever young
Forever young, forever young
May you stay forever young.

STEVE EARLE: THE REVOLUTION STARTS NOW!

Song Factoid:
I would say that this 2004 song was prescient:
"In your own home town, in your own backyard."

The Revolution Starts Now
Words and Music by Steve Earle

I was walkin' down the street
In the town where I was born
I was movin' to a beat
That I'd never felt before
So I opened up my eyes
And I took a look around
I saw it written 'cross the sky
The revolution starts now
Yeah, the revolution starts now

The revolution starts now
When you rise above your fear
And tear the walls around you down
The revolution starts here
Where you work and where you play
Where you lay your money down
What you do and what you say
The revolution starts now
Yeah the revolution starts now

Yeah the revolution starts now
In your own backyard
In your own hometown
So what you doin' standin' around?
Just follow your heart
The revolution starts now

Last night I had a dream
That the world had turned around
And all our hopes had come to be
And the people gathered 'round
They all brought what they could bring
And nobody went without
And I learned a song to sing
The revolution starts now

BILLY BRAGG: UPFIELD

I'm going upfield, way up on the hillside
I'm going higher than I've ever been before
That's where you'll find me, over the horizon
Wading in the river, reaching for that other shore

I dreamed I saw a tree full of angels, up on Primrose Hill
And I flew with them over the Great Wen till I had seen my fill
Of such poverty and misery sure to tear my soul apart
I've got a socialism of the heart, I've got a socialism of the heart

I'm going upfield, way up on the hillside
I'm going higher than I've ever been before
That's where you'll find me, over the horizon
Wading in the river, reaching for that other shore

The angels asked me how I felt about all I'd seen and heard
That they spoke to me, a pagan, gave me cause to doubt their word
But they laughed and said: "I doesn't matter if you'll help us in our art
You've got a socialism of the heart, you've got a socialism of the heart"

I'm going upfield, way up on the hillside
I'm going higher than I've ever been before
That's where you'll find me, over the horizon
Wading in the river, reaching for that other shore

Their faces shone and they were gone and I was left alone
I walked these ancient empire streets till I came tearful to my home
And when I woke next morning, I vowed to play my part
I've got a socialism of the heart, I've got a socialism of the heart

I'm going upfield, way up on the hillside
I'm going higher than I've ever been before
That's where you'll find me, over the horizon
Wading in the river, reaching for that other shore

JASON COLLETT: ALMOST SUMMER

Lemon gin, corn fields plowed under.
Cigarettes, Southern Comfort.
With your friends behind the bleachers it's your first dance.
He's gonna be there in the high school gym
It's almost summer, almost warm enough to swim
Backyards are waiting.

He's got your name, he's got your number
He's got your name, he's got your number

The sun sets across the parking lot,
walking cool with your friends.
Before the rent-a-cops even know you're innocent.
The night is waiting

Here he comes, you're a little nervous
Here he comes; well you're getting up the courage, yeah

The music sucks
But he's your salvation
Cherry lip gloss, and you're what he's tasting yeah
Yeah yeah yeah

You're in his car getting high
Pair of fuzzy dice by the dashboard light
Super toke, gets smoke in his eyes
Your head is swimming with the anticipation and suddenly,
You're puking out the door with your pants around your knees
But he's a nice boy so he drops you on your street.
You can't believe it
Looks like you blew it.

He's got your name; he's got your number
He's driving away; Oh what a bummer, yeah
Yeah, yeah, yeah

So you stumble home
But you don't quite make it
You wake up on the lawn
Of your next door neighbor's
The sun is warm.

It's almost summer, yeah

THE SHEEPDOGS: I DON'T KNOW

I Don't Know
The Sheepdogs

Never have I heard
A more disturbing word
Holdin' out for long
I never felt so quite disturbed.

I get up in the morning now, I don't know
Waiting for the evening now, I don't know
Been lookin' for whats comin' now, I don't know
Would somebody please, help me.

Lookin' back at me
There's more than mystery
Letters and pages of
Ancient history, yeah.

I get up in the morning now, I don't know
I've been waiting for the evening now, I don't know
I've been lookin' for whats comin' now, I don't know
Would somebody please, help me.

I don't know, help me.
I don't know, I don't know, help me.

I don't know, help me.
I don't know, I don't know, help me.

I don't know, help me.
I don't know, I don't know, help me.

GRATEFUL DEAD: COLD, RAIN & SNOW

Colds, Rain & Snow

Well I married me a wife, she's been trouble all my life
Run me out in the cold rain and snow
Rain and snow, run me out in the cold rain and snow

Well she's coming down the stairs, combin' back her yellow hair
And I ain't goin be treated this ol' way

Well she went up to her room where she sang her faithful tune
Well I'm goin where those chilly winds don`t blow

CREAM: ANYONE FOR TENNIS?

Anyone for Tennis?

(Eric Clapton and Martin Sharp)
Twice upon a time in the valley of the tears
The auctioneer is bidding for a box of fading years
And the elephants are dancing on the graves of squealing mice.
Anyone for tennis, wouldn't that be nice?

And the ice creams are all melting on the streets of bloody beer
While the beggars stain the pavements with flourescent Christmas cheer
And the Bentley driving guru is putting up his price.
Anyone for tennis, wouldn't that be nice?

And the prophets in the boutiques give out messages of hope
With jingle bells and fairy tales and blind colliding scopes
And you can tell they're all the same underneath the pretty lies.
Anyone for tennis, wouldn't that be nice?

The yellow Buddhist monk is burning brightly at the zoo
You can bring a bowl of rice and then a glass of water too
And fate is setting up the chessboard while death rolls out the dice.
Anyone for tennis, wouldn't that be nice?

BRUCE COCKBURN: EACH ONE LOST

As troops finally begin to withdraw from Afghanistan, this song is quite fitting:

Each One Lost

(Bruce Cockburn)

Under the big lights

shadows stretching long

the ramp is lowered gently to the tarmac

and all of us, we wait

in this sea of gravity

for the precious cargo to appear

Here come the dead boys

moving slowly past

the pipes and prayers and strained commanding voices

and the tears in our hearts

make an ocean we're all in

all in this together don't you know

You can die on your sofa

safe inside your home

or die in a mess of flame and shrapnel

we all in our time go

you know you're not alone

you're in the hearts of everybody here

Each one lost

is everyone's loss you see

each one lost is a vital part of you and me

Some would have us bow

in bondage to their dreams

of little gods who lay down laws to live by

but all these inventions

arise from fear of love

and open-hearted tolerance and trust

Well screw the rule of law

we want the rule of love

enough to fight and die to keep it coming

if that sounds like confusion

brother think again

we know exactly what we chose

Each one lost

is everyone's loss you see

each one lost is a vital part of you and me