Story Behind the Song
The saying "let sleeping dogs lie" applies also to the inertia that keeps
us in repressive situations, not wanting to wake the barking demons
of fear within.
I wrote this song at the end of a very long 35 year journey out of
christianity, which finally resulted in finding a new life outside of
religion, based on love, rather than on fear-masked-as-niceness.
You'll notice the hope, the playfulness that follows the dark
story of the lyrics.
Yes, there are hidden messages, but I've forgotten what they say.
Because of the aural complexity of this track and others, the
Animal Dreams CD took 18 months to record. At times up to 77
simultaneous tracks are utilized, synchronizing takes made at
remote sites with in-studio percussion, synthesizers, winds,
and strings. This particular cut was wholly done in the studio.
The Animal Dreams CD is available at ron-newman.co
Lyrics
Sleeping Dogs Lie, © 1995 by Ron Newman
On a cold Montana highway,
Crumbling choices, faraway dreams;
And I hear old voices calling me,
Though it's silence that I really need.
All my dreams have vanished into dust,
And you know, it takes time to find new ones,
All along, singing solo in a song,
Trying hard to be right, feeling wrong.
And they say it doesn't matter,
And a dream is nothin' at all.
All their fears they pray I'll follow, still;
They say, "Those who fly are those who fall".
But it still seems that solitary dreams never die,
And that still, I must follow.
Satan sings, "just fly on borrowed wings,
no need to die on the high and the far road".
...waiting for these wings to fly.
And I run through the rivers, and I run through the dust,
Holding dreams of silver, holding dreams of rust.
And they say it don't matter,
Lock your feelings away.
"Life is for the hereafter,
So just do what we say."
" 'twas grace that taught my heart to fear...this is not good enough...and god always wins...James says that we ought,
that we ought, that we ought...mea culpa."
The best answer is "none of the above".
And they say it don't matter,
Let the sleeping dogs lie,
But the mourning brings laughter
For the heroes who've cried.
So it's a song for the night:
these blackbird wings were made to fly..
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