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If my words did glow with the gold of sunshine
And my tunes were played on the harp unstrung
Would you hear my voice come through the music
Would you hold it near as it were your own?
It's a hand-me-down, the thoughts are broken
Perhaps they're better left unsung
I don't know, don't really care
Let there be songs to fill the air
(Chorus)
Ripple in still water
When there is no pebble tossed
Nor wind to blow
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
There is a road, no simple highway
Between the dawn and the dark of night
And if you go no one may follow
That path is for your steps alone
(Chorus)
You who choose to lead must follow
But if you fall you fall alone
If you should stand then who's to guide you?
If I knew the way I would take you home
And my tunes were played on the harp unstrung
Would you hear my voice come through the music
Would you hold it near as it were your own?
It's a hand-me-down, the thoughts are broken
Perhaps they're better left unsung
I don't know, don't really care
Let there be songs to fill the air
(Chorus)
Ripple in still water
When there is no pebble tossed
Nor wind to blow
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
There is a road, no simple highway
Between the dawn and the dark of night
And if you go no one may follow
That path is for your steps alone
(Chorus)
You who choose to lead must follow
But if you fall you fall alone
If you should stand then who's to guide you?
If I knew the way I would take you home
Lyrics submitted by itsmyownmind
Track duration: 04:10
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That every individual is on a “path” of their own as they go through life; and every individual must interpret life and its meaning for themselves. No choice.
The chorus:
Ripple in still water
When there is no pebble tossed
Nor wind to blow
…means life’s meaning will come out of nowhere, in your mind and consciousness, in other words from the fountain not made by the hands of man.
The songwriter is saying he/she would like to define life’s meaning and path, but he/she cannot, and it’s best you figure it out on your own, and in the end, that’s how it will happen anyhow…with the help of the fountain and the ripple without a cause.
It’s like a parent or significant other squaring with you and saying that they love you, but…for the deep stuff…you have to figure it out for yourself.
The song also says if someone thinks they have the answer or answers for others as a leader, well, they only have the answers for themselves.
The song is about the deep personal stuff.
I love the clarity of this song.
That every individual is on a “path” of their own as they go through life; and every individual must interpret life and its meaning for themselves. No choice.
The chorus:
Ripple in still water
When there is no pebble tossed
Nor wind to blow
…means life’s meaning will come out of nowhere, in your mind and consciousness, in other words from the fountain not made by the hands of man.
The songwriter is saying he/she would like to define life’s meaning and path, but he/she cannot, and it’s best you figure it out on your own, and in the end, that’s how it will happen anyhow…with the help of the fountain and the ripple without a cause.
It’s like a parent or significant other squaring with you and saying that they love you, but…for the deep stuff…you have to figure it out for yourself.
The song also says if someone thinks they have the answer or answers for others as a leader, well, they only have the answers for themselves.
The song is about the deep personal stuff.
I love the clarity of this song.
And my tunes were played on the harp unstrung
Would you hear my voice come through the music
Would you hold it near as it were your own?
Hypothetical question
could words be magical glowing with...gold and power of the sun
and you can't get that tune out of your head
or the words that get stuck in your head
and soon it is like the words are your own
It's a hand-me-down, the thoughts are broken
Perhaps they're better left unsung
I don't know, don't really care
Let there be songs to fill the air
The words are not yours they break your own thought
maybe it is better if this wasn't sung
but he doesn't know or care
so do as though wilt
(Chorus)
Ripple in still water
When there is no pebble tossed
Nor wind to blow
there is a dead body in the water sinking
air bubbles floating to the top
don't need wind or pebbles for that
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
This is the sacrifice for nothing is for free in the world.
But the fountain of wealth you fill your cup from does not come from man.
There is a road, no simple highway
Between the dawn and the dark of night
And if you go no one may follow
That path is for your steps alone
There are certain steps you must take
to part the veil of dark and light
no one can do it for you
for it must be of your own freewill
You who choose to lead must follow
But if you fall you fall alone
If you should stand then who's to guide you?
If I knew the way I would take you home
when you make that choice of your own freewill
then you must follow the lead of the one who guides you
If you fail you will die alone
If it was up the writer they would guide you
but they do not have that knowledge nor ability
hmmm maybe I should make my comments rhyme?
"Ripple in still water
When there is no pebble tossed
Nor wind to blow "
That is where ancient Eastern wisdom meets the most advanced ideas in physics.
Everything is vibrations. Each vibration reaches everywhere. all is one.
This is nirvana.
It is no accident that it is in Haiku form.
The song starts out with the hypothetical. "If I were drawing directly from the source of pure wisdom "gold of sunshine", and "harp unstrung", would you recognize that what you hear is a human voice transmitting what he knows the best he can? Would you hold onto the message and make it part of you?
"It's a hand me down"
Almost everything we know is learned from others, especially deep truths.
"The thoughts are broken"
Truths have to be broken into words, and don't get reassembled automatically from person to person.
"I don't know, don't really care
Let there be songs to fill the air"
What I'm trying to say may not get across, but I don't care.
Songs are worth singing, with meaning or not.
The rest is pretty obvious. It is amazing how compact the path to enlightenment is compressed into a few verses. We follow the accumulated wisdom of others, but realization cannot be given to us, it is up to ourselves alone.
There is a road, no simple highway
Between the dawn and the dark of night
And if you go no one may follow
That path is for your steps alone
he talks of a road between light and dark and the road is not one that anyone can follow you on.
in the chorus:
Ripple in still water
When there is no pebble tossed
Nor wind to blow
he omens to what i would call an 'otherwolrdly' presence, a ripple in still water, with no stone thrown or wind blowing.
just my thoughts, as previously stated, this would be a wonderful song to have played at a funeral, a great way to remember a loved one, a ripple in still water.
i think Garcia came to Hunter with the tune and then Hunter began writing the lyrics.
He had a fragment of a verse he had written before and used it here.
It's a hand-me-down, the thoughts are broken
Perhaps they're better left unsung
I don't know, don't really care
Let there be songs to fill the air
The previous verse is the hand me down. And he doesn't remember what they were meant for. But that is OK.
Because what is important is the music, not the forgotten meaning of the previous verse.
In other words he was melding the lyrics from a previous song or poem unto this song.
With beautiful results
Rave to the Grave J.V.