Dancing with the Stones

April 28, 2004

This one was written by my good mate Mark Gillett, with whom I used to work at Maroochydore DSS office (now Centrelink). Not sure what inspired it but it rocks. I played it (on drums) with The Hinterland Band in 1992 and as soloist ever since. Mark plays it in Em, I do it in A.

If you'd like to hear this tune, you can download it here (MP3, 3.98MB) or listen to the streaming version here. This is the first recording of it - it's very basic (I must confess that I hate the mix - will fix that). I played everything and sang all the vocal parts. My good mate Ian Focks helped with the recording. At some stage I'll add guitar and keyboard parts ... maybe a whistle or something. Stay tuned for that.

Update: If you feel generous you can now buy the version of this song released on The Genre Benders' debut CD "I am leaving! I am leaving!" from iTunes, or GroupieTunes, or Payplay.FM. If you have a different favourite online store, search for it there and if it's not there, let me know so I can put it there.

Update: Youtube now makes standard video of songs release through CDBaby. Here's this one:

Dancing with the Stones
by Mark Gillett

The Sun sets on stone faces, looking out on the sea.
Torches flare in the night air and we start our ceremony.
We're gonna talk soul, pass the bowl and raise the energy.
The Gods will talk and statues walk when we set the magic free

How are you going?
Dancing with the stones.

Stand 'round the sacred ground beneath the midsummer moon.
An old, grand master man throws the forbidden rune.
Lost art, a crystal heart is beating to an ancient tune.
You'd better jive when it comes alive, ain't nobody immune

How are you going?
Dancing with the stones.

The whip lands on the slave bands straining at the yoke.
Stone blocks as big as trucks move with every stroke.
Worker's bones, the grave stones of a culture built on pain.
A cruel land, desert sand, covers fields of grain.

How are you going?
Dancing with the stones.

Thirty years beneath the lash. Raise the granite high.
Come and make a place for us that's fit for us to lie.
Wrapped in clinging linen, dressed in precious oil.
Come and take your just reward for centuries of toil.

How are you going?
Dancing with the stones.

The world turns, people turn and they face a brave new world.
There's a wild unborn child beneath the belly curled.
In her trance, gaints dance. They dance the steps of dread.
That's a dance that's gonna grind your bones to make their bread.

How are you going?
Dancing with the stones.
Said you're dancing with the stones.

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Please note This song is APRA registered: Work ID GW11690208. You can copy, reproduce and distribute any part of these lyrics for any non-commercial purpose as long as you acknowledge its source. If you make something good out of it, let me know and I'll consider adding it to this site.

If you perform it or broadcast it for any purpose, please let APRA know.

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 2.5 License