Robert’s lyrics have meant a lot to millions of people. They’ve meant a lot to me.
RIP, Robert.
Fare thee well, too, Mr. Hunter. Thanks for the songs!
Touch of Grey was one of my favorite Dead songs: Grateful Dead - Touch Of Grey (Official Music Video) [HD] - YouTube
Also Ripple: - YouTube
Inspiration, move me brightly
Light the song with sense and color
Hold away despair.
Bless you, Robert
He’s gone, and nothing’s gonna bring him back.
Farewell to one of the greatest rock lyricists of the 20th century. Thanks for the poetry, Robert.
The best lyricist in the history of the English language.
Have to crank up a live Terrapin tonight and rock my neighbors. Thanks for the thought!
When it seems like the night will last forever
And there’s nothing left to do but count the years
When the strings of my heart start to sever
And stones fall from my eyes instead of tears
I will walk alone by the black muddy river
And dream me a dream of my own
Dust off those rusty strings just one more time.
RIP Mr. Hunter, may the four winds blow you safely home. Truly, one of the greatest American lyricists ever. Everything I’ve ever needed to know in life can be found in Robert Hunter’s lyrics. I’m sure I can come up with more of these pearls, and I probably will over the next several days. Among the ones that immediately come to mind:
Without love in the dream it will never come true.
If you plant ice, you’re gonna harvest wind.
Every time that wheel turn 'round
bound to cover just a little more ground
Once in a while
you get shown the light
in the strangest of places
if you look at it right
The grass ain’t greener, the wine ain’t sweeter
either side of the hill
Now I don’t know but I been told
it’s hard to run with the weight of gold
Other hand I heard it said
it’s just as hard with the weight of lead
Nothing’s for certain
It could always go wrong
Come in when it’s raining
Go on out when it’s gone
Sometimes the songs that we hear
are just songs of our own
It all rolls into one
and nothing comes for free
There’s nothing you can hold
for very long
One of my favorites. Not heavy thoughts, but true to the characters:
Now I love those cowboys, I love their gold,
Love my uncle, God rest his soul,
Taught me good Lord, Taught me all I know,
Taught me so well, that I grabbed that gold, and
I left his dead ass there by the side of the road
“Me and My Uncle”
Great song, but not written by Robert Hunter. It was written by John Phillips .
Hmmm…not what the lyrics site said. My bad. Sorry, Robert. Wiki has the correct cite for once.
Off to probably show my ass with another faulty quote somewhere.
I think a thread full of Robert Hunter lyrics is a wonderful tribute.
From the title track of a criminally under-rated album:
Arabian wind, the needle’s eye is thin
The ships of state sail on mirage and drown in sand
Out in no man’s land, where Allah does command
What good is spilling blood? It will not grow a thing
“Taste eternity”, the swords sing
Blues for Allah, Insh’Allah
They lie where they fall, there’s nothing more to say
The desert stars are bright tonight, let’s meet as friends
Going home, going home
By the waterside I will rest my bones
Listen to the river sing sweet songs
To rock my soul
Ahh, ya bastard. You’re making me cry.
Life may be sweeter for this, I don’t know,
Feels like it might be all right.
Let there be songs to fill the air.
Oh, Honey, let me sing your blues away
Reach out your hand if your cup be empty
If your cup is full may it be again
Let it be known there is a fountain
That was not made by the hands of men
Wake up to find out that you are the eyes of the world
The heart has its beaches, its homeland and thoughts of its own
Wake now, discover that you are the song that the morning brings
But the heart has its seasons, its evenings and songs of it’s own
In another time’s forgotten space
Your eyes looked from your mother’s face
Wildflower seed on the sand and stone
May the four winds blow you safely home
One way or another,
This darkness has got to give.
.
To lay me down
once more
To lay me down
with my head
in sparkling clover
Let the world go by
all lost in dreaming
To lay me down
one last time
To lay me down
…
To tell sweet lies, one last time and say good night
To lay me down, to lay me down, to lay me down, one last time
To lay me down, one last time, to lay me down