Well I came across a child of God, he was walking along the road
and I asked him tell where are you going, this he told me:
Well, I’m going down to Yasgur's farm, going to join in a rock and roll band.
Got to get back to the land, set my soul free.
We are stardust, we are golden, we are billion year old carbon,
and we got to get ourselves back to the garden.

Well, then can I walk beside you? I have come to lose the smog.
And I feel like I'm a cog in something turning.
And maybe it's the time of year, yes, and maybe it's the time of man.
And I don't know who I am but life is for learning.
We are stardust, we are golden, we are billion year old carbon,
and we got to get ourselves back to the garden.

By the time we got to Woodstock, we were half a million strong,
and everywhere there was song and celebration.
And I dreamed I saw the bombers jet planes riding shotgun in the sky,
turning into butterflies above our nation.

We are stardust, we are golden, we caught in the devil’s bargain,
and we got to get ourselves back to the garden.


Lyrics submitted by PerlDrummr

Woodstock song meanings
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17 Comments

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  • +5
    General Comment

    I think the references to god and a garden (of eden perhaps) are very metaphorical. I love this song and I'm wanted finding the real lyrics to some of the words I could not understand. Now that I see the true lyrics I think the writer of this song is a student of science. "we are star dust... we are billion year old carbon." That is really cool for that to be in this song because all we are is matter from exploded stars billions of years ago. We would not exists if stars did not explode their elemental guts so to say all throughout the universe. As Professor Lawrence Krauss likes to say "forget jesus the stars died so you could be here." I think the reference to the garden is a metaphor for paradise. Which is what Woodstock was to some at the times going on in the world.

    rounder89on June 09, 2012   Link
  • +4
    General Comment

    The song opens with a nod to Mathew 5:9 saying blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God. This is talking definately about the anti-war movement. And the next obvious bible reference is to the garden. All in all, it was a smart way to protest a war that was supported by Christian fundementalists. Using their beliefs against them. Good song, excellent message.

    IronJohn7on April 14, 2005   Link
  • +3
    General Comment

    when i think of anything 60's related - vietnam, nixon, woodstock, hippies, psychadelia -i pretty much think of this lyric:

    by the time we got to woodstock, we were half a million strong, and everywhere there was song and celebration. and i dreamed i saw the bombers jet planes riding shotgun in the sky, turning into butterflies above our nation.

    wow

    _maria_on December 10, 2005   Link
  • +1
    General Comment

    This is a timeless song in many ways, universal, spiritual, truth-full. We are all "a cog in something turning" - in the wheel of Life. This is a calling to realize what we have lost in the modern world: our connection to the earth, the seasons, each other, ourselves - we have become out of tune, out of step with the rhythm of Life and with the Source and Creator of Life. So often we find ourselves drifting, half-living, going through the motions and often wondering Why? What is the meaning, the purpose? "And I don't know who I am but life is for learning." This song is a call reminding us that we are all connected to each other, all living things on earth (are carbon based), the Earth itself, and the Universe: "We are stardust, we are golden, we are billion year old carbon..." To gain an understanding of the answers to our universal questions and "set my soul free" we "got to get ourselves back to the garden". ~ Angela

    Justalittletouchedon October 07, 2016   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    i think this song is such a good anthem for the hippies who were or were not at woodstock, and to realize that even today, we are just trying to get back to the garden. joni mitchell's lyrics are amazing, (she wrote this song for them).

    hippyathearton April 22, 2003   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    in the worst rolling stone album review of many bad ones...the reviewer gave the deja vu album 4 stars and went on to say how terrible it was...reading it, i laugh my ass off when he tries to tear them apart by making a comment most would consider a compliment...the worst is at the end: ~Crosby, Stills and Nash—plus or minus Neil Young—will probably remain the band that asks the question, "What can we do that would be really heavy?" And then answers, "How about something by Joni Mitchell?" ~

    saying anything like that about Joni Mitchell is a sin

    ZinbobDanon May 05, 2003   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    i adore this song

    crash&burnon October 21, 2004   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    i'm surprised there aren't more comments for this song. it's really one of those perfect hippie/classic rock songs. i seriously didn't even know all the lyrics until i read this, like this part:

    Well, then can I walk beside you? I have come to lose the smog. And I feel like I'm a cog in something turning.

    it just makes me have goosebumps. it is perfect.

    the song is pretty self-explanatory, but i think the garden he's talking about is eden, of course. all trying to get back to perfection and peace.

    suckswhenon June 22, 2005   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    love this song. its a real good theme for the hippie movement

    tenneseejedon August 06, 2005   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    this song was written by joni mitchell. She wasn't actually at Woodstock, but saw footage of the concert, and wrote this song as a result.

    Laetyon July 28, 2006   Link

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