Throwing Stones
June 26th, 2006
I cranked up my iPod this weekend to help with the tedium of packing. I have been exploring a bunch of different bands lately, but have neglected some of my favorites. Yesterday, I spent the entire day listening to the Beatles and the Grateful Dead - my two all time favorite bands.
While listening to some live Dead circa 1990, I caught a really good version of Throwing Stones - a Bob Weir composition examining the human condition. The lyrics are insightful and the music is vintage Dead. Check out the recently updated Official GD Site, and the home of GD Radio - 24/7 streaming Dead.
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Picture a bright blue ball just spinning, spinning free
Dizzy with eternity.
Paint it with a skin of sky, brush in some clouds and sea
Call it home for you and me.
A peaceful place or so it looks from space
A closer look reveals the human race.
Full of hope, full of grace, is the human face.
But afraid, we may our home to waste.
There’s a fear down here we can’t forget hasn’t got a name just yet
Always awake, always around singing ashes to ashes all fall down.
Now watch as the ball revolves and the nighttime calls
And again the hunt begins and again the bloodwind calls
By and by again, the morning sun will rise
But the darkness never goes from some men’s eyes.
It strolls the sidewalks and it rolls the streets
Stalking turf, dividing up meat.
Nightmare spook, piece of heat, you and me, you and me.
Click, flashblade in ghetto night. Rudies looking for a fight.
Rat cat alley roll them bones. Need that cash to feed that jones
And the politicians throwing stones
Singing ashes, ashes all fall down.
Commissars and pin-striped bosses role the dice
Either way they fall guess who gets to pay the price.
Money green or proletarian gray, selling guns instead of food today.
So the kids they dance, they shake their bones
While the politicians throwing stones
Singing ashes, ashes all fall down.
Heartless powers try to tell us what to think
If the spirit’s sleeping, then the flesh is ink.
History’s page, it is thusly carved in stone
The future’s here, we are it, we are on our own.
If the game is lost then we’re all the same
No one left to place or take the blame.
We will leave this place an empty stone
Or this shinning ball of blue we can call our home.
So the kids they dance, they shake their bones
While the politicians are throwing stones
Singing ashes, ashes all fall down.
Shipping powders back and forth
Singing “black goes south while white comes north”
And the whole world full of petty wars
Singing “I got mine and you got yours.”
And the current fashions set the pace.
Lose your step, fall out of grace.
And the radical he rant and rage, Singing “someone got to turn the page”
And the rich man in his summer home,
Singing “Just leave well enough alone”
But his pants are down, his cover’s blown.
And the politicians are throwing stones
So the kids they dance they shake their bones
Cause its all too clear we’re on our own
Picture a bright blue ball just spinning, spinning free
It’s dizzying, the possibilities.
Ashes, Ashes all fall down.
June 28th, 2006 at 12:59 pm
“Picture a bright blue ball just spinning, spinning free
Dizzy with eternity.
Paint it with a skin of sky, brush in some clouds and sea
Call it home for you and me.
A peaceful place or so it looks from space
A closer look reveals the human race.
Full of hope, full of grace, is the human face.
But afraid, we may our home to waste.”
I think every living soul on this earth shares responsibility in that waste
John 8:7-11 7 “”"When they kept on questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, “If any one of you is without sin, let him be the first to throw a stone at her.” 8 Again he stooped down and wrote on the ground. 9 At this, those who heard began to go away one at a time, the older ones first, until only Jesus was left, with the woman still standing there. 10 Jesus straightened up and asked her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?” 11 “No one, sir,” she said. “Then neither do I condemn you,” Jesus declared. “Go now and leave your life of sin.”"”
“”"Shipping powders back and forth
Singing “black goes south while white comes north”
And the whole world full of petty wars
Singing “I got mine and you got yours.”
And the current fashions set the pace.
Lose your step, fall out of grace.
And the radical he rant and rage, Singing “someone got to turn the page”
And the rich man in his summer home,
Singing “Just leave well enough alone”
But his pants are down, his cover’s blown.”"”
I wish it was as simplistic as this. It’s not a good thing to relive the Nixon era in the 21rst century. The dealings that go on today can not be summed up as a one celled creature.
“”"And the politicians are throwing stones
So the kids they dance they shake their bones
Cause its all too clear we’re on our own
Picture a bright blue ball just spinning, spinning free
It’s dizzying, the possibilities.
Ashes, Ashes all fall down.”"”
I can agree with the overall synopsis of the lyrical content; Though, we know who the politicians are, you and I are the kids Greg.
If I can put this in perspective within the realm of history, what better opportunity do we have to change this current government; even if to a limited degree? This can only be done without personal agenda of slander, half truths, back biting, maliciousness behavior, etc. These dark soul intentions only invite the throwing of stones and the rattling of bones; instead, replace with honesty, love, kindness, generosity, peace loving, understanding, and other things of the like. If tainted with anything else, this would be called personal agenda and then nothing gets done.
I say, let us take full advantage of what we are capable of and perhaps take a moment to relect upon this prayer of wisdom:
God (Of your choosing of course) grant me the serenity
to accept the things I cannot change;
courage to change the things I can;
and wisdom to know the difference.
Living one day at a time;
Enjoying one moment at a time;
Accepting hardships as the pathway to peace;
Taking, as He did, this sinful world
as it is, not as I would have it;
Trusting that He will make all things right
if I surrender to His Will;
That I may be reasonably happy in this life
and supremely happy with Him
Forever in the next.
Amen.
This song does a great job of reflecting the condition of man, it also points out our desperate need of a savior. If left to our own devices, this planet will die a most horrible death.
On another note, looking at the complexity of creation and the consciousness’ of man, something tells me that we won’t be left to our own for very much longer.
Just my humble observation/oppinion.
June 28th, 2006 at 1:38 pm
Neglected to offer my condolences to you on your packing and moving. Hope everything goes well for you, it’s much more easier to unpack than it is to pack.
Just past the packing part.
Peace brotha.
June 30th, 2006 at 2:01 am
I’ve noticed that quite a few Deadheads are into search. I sincerely miss those guys. Nothing could beat the concert experience. Sometimes they were just going through the motions but you knew that at least once or twice during the show they would hit that full tilt jam where everything would mix just right and the crowd would be dancing their asses off in total aw and disbelief that a band could be so tight with an improvisation.
I loved it when the dead would play Beatles songs like Lucy in the sky with diamonds. I once saw them come out of the space jam and into Tomorrow Never Knows from the Rubber Soul album. That song has a lot of percussion, Bill and Mickey were going off on it! Gerry, Vince and Phil got real tight and spacey. It’s impossible for me to put the intense energy from the moment into words.