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ok back to something more metaphysical...


give it up
© 2003 John Voorpostel


I was dreaming out of control
something I didn’t understand at all
thousands singing in one voice
to the writing on a wall
but there was no resolution
that could change anything
so one by one the voices stopped
until no one sang at all


I kept getting caught in the rain
didn’t learn, it was happening time and again
only used umbrellas
as parasols to pain
I looked outside uneasily
and up into the sky
to find one by one the choirs stopped
and all were busy praying


give it up to holding up and give it all away
we don’t care you don’t know who you are today
join together all as one we can sing and pray
so give it up to holding up and give it all away


with a startle I awoke
to thousands chanting all along the coast
my dream ‘d left an artifact
to haunt me like a ghost
it sounded so familiar
those voices raised in song
then bit by bit I realized
I’d heard it all before


give it up to holding up and give it all away
we don’t care you don’t know who you are today
join together all as one we can sing and pray
so give it up to holding up and give it all away


pictures in my mind are struggling to be real
I can’t tell the difference ‘tween me dreaming and the dream


give it up to holding up and give it all away
we don’t care you don’t know who you are today
join together all as one we can sing and pray
so give it up to holding up and give it all away

Hi, John!

(Looking forward to the other geography lesson that's waiting.)

give it up to holding up and give it all away

Are you saying here that if you give up, you are holding things up. (like progress, spiritual evolution, speaking out etc.)

Or are you are you saying: by holding back , we hold things up.

I am not clear on this.

I like the first verse, although I wish you didn't have to have two alls in the rhyme scheme there.

Second verse needs more work, I think. It doesn't feel right the way the first and third verses do.

JeanB

Wondered what I was going to think about today John. Now I know.
Funny how thoughts tie in with each other.
last night on the news they showed a group of people who had allo stripped off and formed themselves into the words No War on a hillside, presumably overlooking a place where they would be seen easy. I ws working music and had the headset on so don't know where they were bar for on the East coast. NSW probably. Looked out for Judy but didn't spot her.
Gotta ponder further John but this metres along real good and some real nice singing lines in it.
Graham

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http://www.songramp.com/homepage.ez?Who=grahamhenderson

Please please please don't head for Mecca.....That's already been done.

Now am I right in thinking the hook is more gospel like spiritual "give it up to holding up" in other words stay strong in the face of adversity(as in world conditions being shaky) and the "and give it all away" is sharing the experience with others in a positive way. Even if not that's not a bad assumption is it? I mean I had fun with it.
Or does it simply mean for the choir to start singing again and for everyone in the world to start pulling together regardless of race creed and color.

Sorry for being confused but you're the only prophet I know.
I don't even know the one spelled 'profit' very well.

I'd like to be there for fishes and loaves night because as you know Canadian fishing stocks are getting low and any way to save would be excellent.
When turning the water into wine please be careful not to offend members of AA, The First United Pentecostal Church and various Baptist organizations as these people will certainly give out of thier heart and be gracious designated drivers...that way everyone will arrive home safe.......I'm sure that's what you would want as an all encompassing dream fulfillment.

I thank you for the enlightenment. Truly much appreciated!

Eric

John,
I always am intriged sp?? reading some of your lyrics cuz I know there's always some sort of important message to find...and you very thoughtfully arrange the story but darnit- I just didn't get this one at all - but whew I'm kinda glad in a way that I'm not alone this time.... cuz I hate to miss the point. Please explain!
Pam

Hi Jean,

Eric's closest here. Give it up has that "give it up for...." when you want a crowd to applaud a person, or idea.... to holding up...the ideals (implied in the lyric, and you get to fill in the blanks..its about war, poverty, aids...) and give it all away.... share it around

So the heart of this is I was dreaming about something that would make the world a better place, but in the end, I'm not sure anybody really tries or knows how.

And thanks for the opinion on the verses. I will look at it some more. It does have some nigglies in my head too.


Hi Graham, yup, if Judy was there, that red head of hers would stand out. Pete probably stopped her Glad you got the gist of this.


Your're almost there Eric, spiritual, but not religious. More about upholding and sharing and working on ideals.

And sorry, no loaves and fis. Thats been done too, and is currently much better done by Loblaws... or is that Dominion, 'cause they're fresh obsessed??

Hi John

when I dream outta control it's usually along the lines
I've saved the lovely maiden
Now she's in my arms
I'm holdin on to ectasy
revealing all her charms LOL

Sometimes I realize the need for an higher education...especially when I read your lyrics. You always have some great wisdom in em, or profound ideas and thoughts, which I have to read a number of times, just to get a glimmer.
Very well written, and darn it...your takin up to much a my time tryin to figure em out LOL

Allen

Hi there JV. I thought with such a simple title I would surely be able to read and understand and even though I was only vaguely getting a message I have to say very honestly that I found this very nice to read, gave me a nice feeling. My favourite was the second verse and on this occasion my dear Jeannie and I differ, but just for a minute or two.

Graham's comment made to stop and gasp because I thought of the very same thing he was while I read this. (The naked event took place in Byron Bay - one of my regular haunts). Let me assure you both that had I been part of it I would have stood out by more than just the red hair - few other bits would have stood out too, quite a bit...LOL

HI Burleybuddy!

OK, I don't claim to understand ALL of it, but the GIST seems to have permeated my thick skull & I LIKE IT.

A Real '60's Feel this gives me...Line 2 of your Chorus is a Killer, lemmie add, before scootin' off to Webster, a "KUDOS" in my wake.

Nice Job!

Big Guy-Hug,
Stan

WOW!!! You have pretty intense dreams, Johnjohn... whatever happened to showing up in class nekkid? For some reason, I always dream I'm going into a restaurant, church or other public place without shoes on. Can't quite figure it out, but it's very disturbing at the time. Weird.

At first I read this as someone "giving up", instead of "giving it up", which makes a HUGE difference. If I'd only paid more attention and caught the "it", it wouldn't have confused me. But I went back and read it again and caught on.

And this is one of the COOLEST couplets I've ever read:

my dream ‘d left an artifact
to haunt me like a ghost

WOW, what beauty!!

Not sure I understood 100% of this, but that's what would bring me back to listen again and again. Nice job!
BSH
Tink

Thanks for trying Noel. Sometimes I lose people... guess I just try too hard to be clever sometimes and the communication suffers. Sorry.


Et tu Pam. Hope if you come back that you read the explanation and it falls into place. And I do apologize for being confounding sometimes. Thanks for checking in though.


Now Allen easy on the wet dreams Guess you know you're in good company here. Dawg did not hang that Obscure du Jour label on me for nothing


Good feelings are OK by me Judy. So you're saying that wide smiling red head in the "A" , third from the left close to the top right side was not you??? I was sure it was you, but then I've never seen you with your clothes off

Remember my first posting Stan?? Back in 2000. Was one I was most proud of to that date. Had a great melody and lyric (to me anyways), but it ended up my first Obscure du Jour as far as the board was concerned. Though I do write em comprehensibly sometimes, I guess deep down things never change Ciao & a BGH backatcha


Hiya BSHbuddy
Had one of those "nekkid" dreams once as a kid... felt awful. As I understand it now, I must have felt vulnerable about something at school, because it is one of those "classical" dreams people have when they're under stress. Becomes a problem if it happens too much.

Don't know what to say about going barefoot and missing shoes Tinkapooh, but I have a lyric coming up that might enlighten you. Its been written but you know we can't overload the board. My next posting is for JeannieBee 'cause she loves geography, so look for enlightenment in a day or three.

BSH