josh ritter, “young moses,”
from: sermon on the rocks, 2015
Some songs you must have to just surf on the rocks of the imagination to come up with. Such could be the source of today’s Josh Ritter selection. He’s a critter who has delved widely in previous artistic incarnations. I had a small odyssey trying to identify who had made this work, having heard it on live on a local radio station. But thanks to the generosity of its dj, here it is in living, flying audio coloration for your edivacation! About music he created during this time Mr. Ritter has stated he was attempting to “play messianic oracular honky-tonk.”
“Lay down, young Moses, child,
Your wandering star a while.
Hang your heart on a quiet soul and
Stay a while in the house of gold.
Each room has many mansions,
Each mansion, many rooms.
You’ll sleep on sheets of silver,
You’ll eat on plates of moon.
I will take up, white linen.
I will a rove and go.
I do not need your mansions,
I’ll live in a house of soul.
Bring me my Florida water.
Set me my serpent free.
Hang ye no stars above me,
I am bound
All the love they’re gonna give me.
All the love, all the love, all the love.
They’re gonna be my family now,
And y’all can keep your thrones.
I’ve been upon the mountain,
I’ve been to the end of the line.
I’ve pierced the fiery curtain,
The only face that I touched was mine.
I burned me through Ohio.
I found the
That lives on lightning bugs.
His mouth a-glow
When he begins to preach, and
I’ll burn me through the handle.
I’ll drink the cactus truths.
I’ll sleep with peyoteros,
Hills the color of conqueror root.
I got my heavy work in.
I hung your capstone, too.
I’m the king of the milk maids, honey.
Say my name, you know it’s true.
I got my heavy work in.
I take my lightning sweet.
I’ve been a beast of burden,
That is to say I am a beast.
”
All the paintings and graphic work in this post were accomplished by Josh Ritter