And All The Spindles Whine

Gillian Welch / David Rawlings: Pancho and Lefty...9/27/97

I have to tell you this,
whoever you are:
that on one summer morning here,
the ocean pounded in
on tumbledown breakers,
a south wind,
bustling along the shore,
whipped the froth
into little rainbows,
and a reckless gull
swept down the beach
as if to fly
were everything it needed.
I thought of
your hovering saucers,
looking for clues,
and I wanted to write this down,

so it wouldn't be lost forever - -
that once upon a time we had
meadows here,
and astonishing things,
swans and frogs and luna moths
and blue skies
that could stagger your heart.
We could have had them still,
and welcomed you to earth, but
we also had the righteous ones
who worshiped the True Faith,
and Holy War.
When you go home
to your shining galaxy,
say that what you learned
from this dead and barren place is
to beware the righteous ones.
--Philip Appleman
Last-Minute Message For a Time Capsule

Gillian Welch / David Rawlings: Time (The Revelator)

A WINDING RIBBON WITH A BAND OF GOLD
THEY DON'T LIKE YOU TO BE SO FREE
WITH MY INDIAN RUG AND A PIPE TO SHARE
I MUST GO WHERE IT'S QUIET