Site hosted by Angelfire.com: Build your free website today!

KN5000 Page

Lord of the Dance

The music for this song is taken from a Shaker melody "Simple Gifts". I was first introduced to it when I was in graduate school at the University of Iowa (Iowa City) in the 70's. So, when I heard it on a performance of the Riverdance (televised on PBS), with the Irish Jig rhythm, I was motivated to learn to play it on my keyboard.

Verse 1:

I danced in the morning when the world was begun,
and I danced in the moon and the stars and the sun,
I came down from heaven and I danced on the earth,
at Bethlehem I had my birth.

Chorus:

Dance, then, wherever you may be,
I am the Lord of the Dance, said he.
I'll lead you all wherever you may be,
I will lead you all in the dance, said he.

Verse 2:

I danced for the scribe and the Pharisee,
but they would not dance and they wouldn't follow me,
I danced for the fishermen, for James and for John,
they came with me and the dance went on.

Repeat the Chorus after each verse -----

Verse 3:

I danced on the Sabbath and I cured the lame,
the holy people, they said it was a shame,
they whipped and they stripped and they hung me high,
and they left me there on a cross to die.

Verse 4:

I danced on a Friday when the sky turned black,
it's hard to dance with the devil on your back,
they buried my body and they thought I'd gone,
but I am the dance and I still go on.

Verse 5:

They cut me down and I leap up high,
I am the life that'll never, never die,
I'll live in you if you'll live in me,
I am the Lord of the Dance, said he.

-- words and music taken from
"Today's Missal: Music Issue 1997", Oregon Catholic Press
Song #499, text Sydney Carter, copyright 1963
Stainer & Bell Ltd., London, England

/Top of this Page/ /March Annalog/ /I've Been Thinking/ /Rescate Bazaar/ /Family News/ /KN5000 Keyboard/ /Recipes/ /Books/ /Links/ /e-mail Anna/ /e-mail Les/