We've got a real treat for you tonight in the countdown, a long-forgotten song by a famous writer done up modern-style by Knees Calhoon. Richard A. Lupoff is the famous writer and if you've been into SF, mystery, fandom, criticism, ERB or radio during the past 60 years, you know of Dick Lupoff and his works. Ramble House has published several of his books and now he shows his chops as a songwriter. Check out his latest Ramble House book here: WRITER 4
The lyrics were written by Dick back in the late 60s and John Cippolina of Quicksilver Messenger Service played around with some chords for it, but it was never recorded. Dick had forgotten all about it until he found a carbon copy of the lyrics while looking through his files. He sent them to me and I, of course, laid down some tracks, using the first chords and melody that occurred to me. Here's what resulted:
After I'd done the drums and bass with Band in a Box and added guitars and vocals I sent the MP3 to Gavin O'Keefe in Maine and he added some viola parts to the choruses. That's how we did it back in 2013.
Ommmmm Ommmmm
Holy man, oh Holy
man
Ommmmm Ommmmm
Get you high oh yes he can
A lady took me
home with her to see a holy man
He lived upstairs
in a big old house that used to be a band’s
She said he’d get
me super high, he’d put my head on straight
I think it was
Mill Valley or it might have been the Haight
He let me in the
door, I saw he had a holy look
He made me sit
down on the floor and read a holy book
He started in to
talk to me, I said I get the point
He performed a
holy sacrament and handed me a joint.
Ommmmm Ommmmm
Holy man, oh Holy
man
Ommmmm Ommmmm
Get you high oh yes he can
I looked around
the room, the music must have been The Dead
It isn’t for your
ears, he said, it’s strictly for your head
I coughed and
asked him for a coke to ease my coughing spell
He said he never
sold his coke to any infidel
He lit a funny
candle just to make me feel at home
He looked me
straight between the eyes and made me say an om
He handed me a
bowl of rice – get ready for the land!
I said I’m just a
rock and roll musician in a band.
Ommmmm Ommmmm
Holy man, oh Holy
man
Ommmmm Ommmmm
Get you high oh yes he can
He looked like
I’d spit on the floor, his face was a tip-off
That heavy
ego-trip you’re on is an energy rip-off
The karma of your
vibes is bad, you better meditate
Upon the great
mandala, man, before it gets too late
Just then my lady
friend came back with some ginseng tea
The holy man took
one red cup and offered some to me
Before I took it
from his hand I said – Here is where I
stand
I’ll never make
no holy man, I’ll just rock it with my band.
Ommmmm Ommmmm
Holy man, oh Holy
man
Ommmmm Ommmmm
Get you high oh yes he can.
BONUS COVER!
This is one of the very last cover songs Knees recorded, and it turned out nicely, with Gavin O'Keefe's viola fitting the mood perfectly. I'm glad this was a folk song written back in the 60s. If it were a modern C&W song it would be called "If I Was a Carpenter".
