Like a whisper on the wind, dawn inside their pockets, lepers carry roses
To jerusalem, drawing morning in Pearls, sons bury their fathers
or the silhouettes of children
Has been betrayed like love grown old, at the edge of the universe, the light is fading out
The imperative is drawn, will raise the living, the ancient night is coming back
Fathers bury their sons, or the silhouettes of children
dawn inside their pockets
Like a whisper on the wind, love is silent
the caravans are leaving
has been betrayed like love grown old
the tree is hid in shadow
In a fog of useless doubt, sons bury their fathers
dawn inside their pockets
The caravans are leaving, at the edge of the universe
All your sacred words are gone, will raise the living, love is silent
jesus raised the dead
Will raise the living, lepers carry roses, sons bury their fathers
The soft touch of your words, dawn inside their pockets, all your symbols are shattered
dawn inside their pockets
The tree is hid in shadow, the translucent carriages
All your sacred words are gone, the light is fading out, has been betrayed like love grown old
Like a whisper on the wind, the light is fading out, crying somewhere in the cold
fathers bury their sons
In a fog of useless doubt, love is silent
Love is silent, the caravans are leaving
the caravans are leaving
Dawn inside their pockets, sons bury their fathers
The soft touch of your words, drawing morning in
Sons bury their fathers, or the silhouettes of children
I listened to this song one night in my room alone on acid once. Twas the first time I realized there was someone breathing heavily into the microphone in the background and it scared the shit out of me for some reason?
I've listened to this song since it came out in '68, it remains after all these years still so piercing, so full of the basic questions and the mystery of not only Jesus but life. Tom Rapp inspired me!
"Translucent Carriages"
By Tom Rapp ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The translucent carriages
Drawing morning in
Dawn inside their pockets
Like a whisper on the wind
The soft touch of your words
Has been betrayed like love grown old
Or the silhouettes of children
Crying somewhere in the cold
The ancient night is coming back
The light is fading out
The tree is hid in shadow
In a fog of useless doubt
Go away go away
The imperative is drawn
All your symbols are shattered
All your sacred words are gone
The caravans are leaving
For the dawn of nothing
Lepers carry roses
To Jerusalem
In peace
Sons bury their fathers
In war
Fathers bury their sons
Love is silent
At the edge of the universe
Waiting
To come in
Jesus raised the dead
But who
Will raise the living
Every time I see you passing by
I have to wonder why
So beautiful. No music like or words like this today. I've been listening to one for over 50 years and have seen them perform in New York in the early 70s many times. Rip Tom. Thanks to art Ellis. Bill Rollins and Harry orlove who were with the group at that time.
So glad I finally got into them. They were so hard to really groove to, then I finally listened to One Nation Underground and it all clicked one day. Took a while, but it was worth it
What an amazing song and production. The whole album is terrific but this and at least 2 other tracks make me feel like a rabbit in the headlights somehow.
i'm kind of an old guy...69 years old...
i loved all music made by the byrds, the beatles and such...
all that late sixty stuff (past age yes)
than came this day i heard the real hippie stuff
mesmerizing names like sopwith camel, grass roots, canned heat and PEARLS BEFORE SWINE
one nation underground and balaklava opened my mind to this music...
i still love the sounds of mcguinn, clark and parsons
but tom rapp...he ain"t no less - i love him too
maybe i'm just kind of a young guy as well - grtz