woodstock (20 years) revisited

Tuesday July 22, 2008

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4 14 171 2 a
1989

larry curtis spurlock

woodstock ( 20 years ) revisited

1
it was 20 years ago - when ray warren saw me
on florida avenue in herndon v a
where you going larry - rayzor willie says to me
hell i don’t know i says to ray

2
there's a concert they’re having - in upstate new york
ol’ ray says he wants me to go
ray, i got no money - no car and no job
just how you think i'm gonna show

3
ray is home from viet nam - but he's got another year
and he says he's got plenty of money
he'll pay my way if i'll help drive - he wants me along
cause i'm so damn funny

4
i'm nineteen years old - just six weeks before i’m drafted
this is something i've got to do
we pick up c e smann - my old friend
and we're on the road thursday the fourteenth at two

5
c e smann’s got no bread - ray's virtually footing the bill
but he says he isn't dumb
let's have fun - and do something we'll remember
for twenty years to come

chorus
woodstock
i had no idea what you'd do to me
woodstock
and they said the show was free
woodstock .. woodstock .. woodstock
now i see
woodstock .. woodstock .. woodstock
you had to be - free for me

6
we drove ten hours - but when we got to woodstock
they said the show was fifty more miles up the road
we got to the site - friday morning at eleven and by noon
the music was loud and we were stoned

7
we don't know santana or richie havens – where are we gonna sleep ?
but i know we'll get it done
this weekend is hauntingly surreal - something tells me not to worry
just have fun fun fun

8
so much happened by saturday morning - i lost ray and c e smann
sometime in the night
one thing kept me from worrying then - smiling lilah
and she made everything all right

9
she came there - with a handful of people from connecticut
on an old school vehicle ripe with rust
we spent some time down there - while the who was singing
i want it, i want it, I want it .. i got it - at the magic bus

10
now it's me and smiling lilah - all day saturday
no doubt i sacrificed my soul
the music was great - continuously beating in the background
rumbling down by the washin' hole

repeat chorus

11
we did it all all day - she was calling me smiling larry
her volunteer
i never had this much fun - in just 24 hours
my whole life plan seemed clear

12
but as much as i liked lilah - she just wasn't a part
of my destiny and future plan
coming down - i put my priorities in order
gotta find ray and c e smann if i can

13
saturday night - say no to more drugs
but lilah's brother has some jack daniels, black label
so now here i am - i've run the gamut
passed out in a horse stable

14
as sunday morning's headache - wakes me at dawn
i find i'm plain worn out
but there's something new - lilah says it’s speed
rrr rrr rrrrrr rrrrrr rrrrrrrr - far out

15
sunday's breakfast - has been put on hold
but the music carries on
lilah's talking about me - coming back to connecticut
but lord i'm going home

repeat chorus

16
somehow ray and c e smann find me - talking in tent city
their promise to find me was vowed
i show them lilah - and she goes on about me
a different me emerges from that crowd

17
in 48 hours - the line has been drawn
right down the middle of the road
psychedelic surprise - the good old boys are splitting in two
as i develop a new code

18
so there you have it - three dudes go to woodstock
one an unlikely show
but some mind altering later - funny how it happens
that was the one who had to go

19
boys talking trash - on their way home
two say it was quite a whim
one is thinking of lilah - and what's to come
and what the army will do to him

20
i can tell you now - i didn't need that festival
to make me who i am
but it's funny how it guided me - to be who i am
20 years later as a man

chorus (3x) - out