One More Troubadour
Echoes of a Troubadour's Heart: Resonating Songs of Hope and Resilience
Lyrics
In the hall & down the stairs
In a venue, descending the stairs
In a room half filled with empty chairs
In a space partially occupied by unoccupied seats
The other half filled with talking heads
The other part occupied by individuals talking without knowledge
Who have never even heard of the Grateful Dead
Referring to those unaware of the Grateful Dead
In the hall & down the stairs
Repetition of the venue scene
Singing out his heart but nobody cares
Singing passionately, but the audience is indifferent
Standing on the stage in the light all alone
Being on stage, illuminated and isolated
Singing to the faces that are looking at their phones
Singing to people engrossed in their phones
His heart breaks a little when the last song's sung
Feeling a slight heartbreak after the last song
He'll drive a hundred miles before the night is done
Willing to drive a long distance after the performance
When he was young he sang in a gravelly voice
Reflecting on the past when he sang with a rough voice
He had no technique, it wasn't really a choice
Lacked formal technique, not a deliberate choice
He sang for money & he sang for free
Sang for both money and freely
Sang for his supper & his coffee & tea
Sang for sustenance, both meals and beverages
Got drunk & played, got high & played
Engaged in music while intoxicated
Sometimes the people left, sometimes the people stayed
Audience reactions varied
& said
Unspecified dialogue or action
One more troubadour
Calling for one more troubadour
Play us a song that can stop a war
Request for a song with the power to end a war
Play us a song that can save our souls
Desire for a song to save souls with the spirit of rock and roll
With nothing but the spirit of rock and roll
Emphasis on the troubadour's role in conveying hope
Play one more troubadour
Reiteration of the call for another troubadour
Get us all dancing on the barroom floor
Inviting the troubadour to make the audience dance
Get us all singing like a choir tonight
Encouraging the troubadour to create a communal singing experience
Tell us everything is going to be all right
Requesting reassurance that everything will be okay
All right, well all right
Expression of agreement or affirmation
In the hall & down the stairs
Repetition of the venue scene
In the Mason jar where you hide your prayers
Reference to a Mason jar as a metaphor for hidden prayers
In the teenage room where the music blares
Highlighting a loud teenage room filled with music
The sinking ship shooting off its rescue flares
Describing a distressed situation, akin to a sinking ship
If the car is fast & the road is wide
If conditions are favorable, requesting permission for a ride
Would you mind if I took it for a little ride?
Considering taking a fast car for a drive on a wide road
Tonight, well all right
Expressing agreement or approval for the night
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