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Black Elk's Dilemma (Live at BrewsNBytes)
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Lyrically: Lakota shaman meets Roman Catholicism half-way. Musically: Rock meets World Beat
good without one politica
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liberal ranting and raving, but sensitive explorations of the current American malaise
Good Without One was a drummerless and mercifully leaderless rock trio performing off the track and often humorous, often political originals and originally arranged covers. The players are George Potor, guitar and vocals, Joe DeCristopher, guitar and vocals, and Rick Totten, bass and vocals. These folks have played together in different contexts for decades, but only as this particular trio from 2003 - 2008. While the level of musicianship is high, their disdain for the trappings of rock stardom is legendary. Two of the members even remained seated throughout performances, despite no obvious physical impairments. Their drummerless approach was a novel but occasionally successful scam to get electric instruments into acoustic venues.
Song Info
Genre
World World Fusion
Charts
#8,854 today Peak #139
#1,270 in subgenre Peak #16
Author
Lyrics by Potor
Rights
George Potor 1989
Uploaded
April 01, 2006
Track Files
MP3
MP3 4.2 MB 128 kbps 4:32
Story behind the song
After a number of years of teaching my students about the visions of Lakota shaman Black Elk, I learned that in his later years, Black Elk was also a Roman Catholic catechist. This song contains my musings upon his religious "dilemma." In the World Beat style Coda, I am looking for some intersection between the cosmologies of his theological leanings. Let's dance.
Lyrics
CHORUS: The name of Jesus came to Black Elk; I wish they coulda been friends. He had to be a Roman Catholic; He had to plead in his own defense. A visionary's tools take a special kind of hands For diggin' up the Soldier's Weed. Touchin it leaves just a shadow in the sand And shatters everything that breathes. He said, 'Whose fool am I to need a better kind of shoe Ghost-dancing with the other deceased?' Ever since the Wounded trouble at the Knees, He's been lookin for a Man of Peace. CHORUS Bless you when you sneeze; all that blessin gets the grief Workin at incredible rates. The good friends of Jesus eat an awful lot of beef; The Body, the Blood, and the Plate. Flowering Tree cures the Blanket Disease, Seeds of Destruction ripe. They said it was a sickness; he said it was the Sight. Red Beauty is a Rainbow stripe. CODA: Gotta come after lovin and laughter Gotta get after life I can't believe in your Devil tonight
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