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Simple Gifts (Lord Of The Dance)    (1848)

(Elder Joseph's lyrics - 1848:)

'Tis the gift to be simple, 'tis the gift to be free
'Tis the gift to come down where we ought to be
And when we find ourselves in the place just right
'Twill be in the valley of love and delight
When true simplicity is gained
To bow and to bend we shan't be ashamed
To turn, turn will be our delight
Till by turning, turning we come 'round right

(Sydney Carter's lyrics - 1963:)

I danced in the morning
When the world was begun
And I danced in the moon
And the stars and the sun
And I came down from heaven
And I danced on the earth
At Bethlehem
I had my birth

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

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 John
They came with me
And the Dance went on

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

I danced on the Sabbath
And I cured the lame
The holy people
Said it was a shame
They whipped and they stripped
And they hung me on high
And they left me there
On a Cross to die

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

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

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

They cut me down
And I leapt 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

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

Lyrics by Sydney Carter (1963).
Composed by Joseph Brackett (1848).
Recorded by Sydney Carter; Ed McCurdy; Donovan; Blackmore's Night.
Music: 19th cent. Shaker tune; adapt. by Sydney Carter
Words & Music © 1963 Stainer & Bell Ltd. (admin. in the US &
Canada by Hope Publishing Company, Carol Stream, IL 60188).
All rights reserved.
Used by permission.
For permission to use this selection, in North America please visit www.hopepublishing.com
In the rest of the world: www.stainer.co.uk

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