Thursday, April 19, 2012

Levon Helm, Ad Astra…




Hey-ho, Mr. Helmsman           ©April 19th, 1:58AM, 2012 by S. Solomon

Hey-ho, Mr. Helmsman
Heard your ship has been run aground
Heard you that have bought Maggie’s farm
That juke box don’t no more turn around
Yeah, old Mr. Richard no longer come to town

What’s in the music
What’s in the rhyme
There’s more to the beat
than just keepin’ good time

Hey-ho, Mr. Helmsman
Carnival wheel run off the rails
The weight just got much too heavy
No common sense to keep her steady
But you and the boys remained rough and ready

Hey-ho, Mr. Helmsman
So, now where do we go from here
The coliseum all broke down
The ghosts are stumblin’ all around
Your masterpiece is revealed hidden underground

What’s in the music
What’s in the rhyme
There’s more to the beat
than just keepin’ good time

Hey-ho, Mr. Helmsman
Now, tell me the ways of this road
Please tell me the way to the creek
I need to get somethin’ to drink
I need to know what I’m supposed to know and think

Hey-ho, Mr. Helmsman
Now you’re sleepin’ with Ophelia
beneath the wondrous Northern Lights
Plenty of time to the still stage fright
you’ll have no bothers on the wide Endless Highway

What’s in that music
What’s in that rhyme
There’s more to the beat
than just keepin’ good time

You had your last waltz
You took your best shot
You spoke for the mute
smithing iron words
You met extinction
with right distinction
You done it right
You done it right
You done it right
You done it right
You done it right…
Thank you, Levon Helm!