'CROSS THE GREEN MOUNTAIN



	'CROSS THE GREEN MOUNTAIN 'Cross the green mountain, I sit by the stream Heaven blazing in my head, I dreamt a monstrous dream Something came up out of the sea Swept through the land of the rich and the free I look into the eyes of my merciful friend And then I ask myself, "Is this the end?" Memories linger, sad yet sweet And I think of the souls in heaven who will meet Altars are burning with flames far and wide The foe has crossed over from the other side They tip their caps from the top of the hill You can feel them come, more brave blood to spill Along the dim Atlantic line The ravaged land lies for miles behind The light's coming forward, and the streets are broad All must yield to the avenging God The world is old, the world is gray Lessons of life can't be learned in a day I watch and I wait, and I listen while I stand To the music that comes from a far better land Close the eyes of our captain, peace may he know His long night is done, the great leader is laid low He was ready to fall, he was quick to defend Killed outright he was by his own men It's the last day's last hour of the last happy year I feel that the unknown world is so near Pride will vanish, and glory will rot But virtue lives and cannot be forgot The bells of the evening have rung There's blasphemy on every tongue Let 'em say that I walked in fair nature's light And that I was loyal to truth and to right Serve God and be cheerful, look upward, beyond Beyond the darkness of masks, the surprises of dawn In the deep green grasses of the blood stained world They never dreamed of surrendering, they fell where they stood Stars fell over Alabama, I saw each star You're walking in dreams, whoever you are Chilled are the skies, keen is the frost The ground's froze hard, and the morning is lost A letter to mother came today "Gunshot wound to the breast", is what it did say But he'll be better soon, he’s in a hospital bed But he'll never be better, he's already dead I'm ten miles outside the city, and I'm lifted away In an ancient light that is not of day They were calm, they were blunt, we knew 'em all too well We loved each other more than we ever dared to tell
PERFORMANCES studio version only no live performances yet
This beautiful epic ballad was written for the civil war movie "Gods and Generals", and was recorded by Bob Dylan with his touring band. The soundtrack, which features the outstanding studio version of this masterpiece, was released in February 2003. Hopefully "'CROSS THE GREEN MOUNTAIN" will be performed in concert as well. Biblical references: ~ Revelation 13 ~ And I saw a beast rising out of the sea, with ten horns and seven heads, with ten diadems on its horns and blasphemous names on its heads. And the beast that I saw was like a leopard; its feet were like a bear's, and its mouth was like a lion's mouth. And to it the dragon gave his power and his throne and great authority. One of its heads seemed to have a mortal wound, but its mortal wound was healed, and the whole earth marveled as they followed the beast. And they worshiped the dragon, for he had given his authority to the beast, and they worshiped the beast, saying, “Who is like the beast, and who can fight against it?” And the beast was given a mouth uttering haughty and blasphemous words, and it was allowed to exercise authority for forty-two months. It opened its mouth to utter blasphemies against God, blaspheming his name and his dwelling, that is, those who dwell in heaven. Also it was allowed to make war on the saints and to conquer them. And authority was given it over every tribe and people and language and nation, and all who dwell on earth will worship it, everyone whose name has not been written before the foundation of the world in the book of life of the Lamb that was slain. If anyone has an ear, let him hear: If anyone is to be taken captive, to captivity he goes; if anyone is to be slain with the sword, with the sword must he be slain. Here is a call for the endurance and faith of the saints. ~ Daniel 7 ~ In the first year of Belshazzar king of Babylon, Daniel saw a dream and visions of his head as he lay in his bed. Then he wrote down the dream and told the sum of the matter. Daniel declared, “I saw in my vision by night, and behold, the four winds of heaven were stirring up the great sea. And four great beasts came up out of the sea, different from one another. The first was like a lion and had eagles' wings. Then as I looked its wings were plucked off, and it was lifted up from the ground and made to stand on two feet like a man, and the mind of a man was given to it. And behold, another beast, a second one, like a bear. It was raised up on one side. It had three ribs in its mouth between its teeth; and it was told, ‘Arise, devour much flesh.’ After this I looked, and behold, another, like a leopard, with four wings of a bird on its back. And the beast had four heads, and dominion was given to it. After this I saw in the night visions, and behold, a fourth beast, terrifying and dreadful and exceedingly strong. It had great iron teeth; it devoured and broke in pieces and stamped what was left with its feet. It was different from all the beasts that were before it, and it had ten horns. I considered the horns, and behold, there came up among them another horn, a little one, before which three of the first horns were plucked up by the roots. And behold, in this horn were eyes like the eyes of a man, and a mouth speaking great things. See for yourself "if the Bible is right".