Widespread Panic - Fire on the Mountain/Space Wrangler - 2-10-11
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25th Anniversary Show at the Classic Center in Athens, GA
Comments
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Where did the other video go?
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Fire On The Mountain
Lyrics: Robert Hunter
Music: Mickey Hart
Robert Hunter says this in "Box Of Rain" about writing this song:
Written at Mickey Hart's ranch in heated inspiration as the surrounding hills blazed and the fire approached the recording studio where we were working; verses three and four don't appear on the Grateful Dead recording of this song, but lines five and six of verse three became one of our mottoes, along with "Record More than You Erase."
This is the full version of the lyrics. Once the song had become established the Grateful Dead performed the first two and the last verse. But in 1977 performances, they just played the first and last verses. And in a studio outtake from 1977, when the song was being developed, they included some lines from the other verses as well as other lyrics.
Long distance runner, what you standing there for? (note 1)
Get up, get off, get out of the door (note 2)
You're playing cold music on the bar room floor
Drowned in your laughter and dead to the core
There's a dragon with matches that's loose on the town
Take a whole pail of water just to cool him down
Chorus
Fire, fire on the mountain
Fire, fire on the mountain
Fire, fire on the mountain
Fire, fire on the mountain
Almost ablaze, still you don't feel the heat (note 3)
It takes all you got just to stay on the beat
You say it's a living, we all gotta eat
But you're here alone, there's no one to compete
If mercy's in business, I wish it for you
More than just ashes when your dreams come true
[chorus]
Baby's in scarlet, her shackles in gray
If loves to love she's got it salted away
Out of the rat trap and under the wire
Out of the frying pan and into the fire
Put it down heavy, strip it down lean
Got to lay it down dirty and play it back clean
[chorus]
Fireman, fireman, call off your dog
This isn't a blaze, it's just a hog in the log
Cut up in sections, squirming alive
Lost to the world on that fifty-cent jive
There's a fire on the mountain, running around
What doesn't go up can never come down
[chorus]
Long distance runner, what you holding out for (note 4)
Caught in slow motion in a dash to the door
The flame from your stage has now spread to the floor
You gave all you had, why you want to give more? (note 5)
The more that you give, the more it will take
To the thin line beyond which you really can't fake
[chorus]
Mickey Hart recorded a rap-type version of this in the early 1970s, and subsequently performed a similar version with Mystery Box, The Other Ones, the Rhythm Devils and other bands (full lyrics). As well as re-ordering the lyrics above, these versions include some additional lyrics, which I presume Robert Hunter wrote:
Wound in barbed wire, hell I ain't sore
Only hurts when I laugh, or roll on the floor
Only hurts a little, at least that's what I'm told
When you drown in hot oil it can even feel cold
I know I'm in love but I can't tell you why
It feels like poison, shoot me down when I cry
Gonna drink a hot water before I die
It cools me down, I ain't telling no lie
Hunter sang a version with the Dinosaurs in January 1984 which includes an additional opening verse - partly ad-libbed:
I asked my mother for fifteen cents
To see this Italian fella jump the fence
He jumped so high [fell] on the [grass]
Ever see an Italian French fry, yes, yes, yes
Notes
(1) On at least one occasion in 1977, Jerry sang "Wrong way runner ..." (thanks to Brian Schnapp for this). This echoes the the original Mickey Hart 'rap' version, which starts "Wrong way Billy, what you standing there for?"
(2) the sheet music has "Get up, get out ..." but Hunter wrote (and Jerry sang) "Get up, get off ..."
(3) this is what Jerry sang, but the Hunter lyrics are "Almost aflame ..." as in the Mickey Hart version.
(5) on at least some occasions (eg 8 May 1977) Garcia starts this verse "Long distance runner, with a foot out the door; caught in slow motion, fall on the floor"
(6) this is what Jerry sang, but the Hunter lyrics are "You gave all you got ..." and that's also what Mickey Hart does. -
Occelli!!!!
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Dude , the audio
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Gotta love that Panic!!!
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Nice Phil zone, Dave :D
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unlistenable
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audio is terrible, but the angle is good
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@Madman007 oh yes.
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@kfix72 hard to listen to JB anymore?? We both know JB doesnt kill it on the guitar but who are you gonna put in front of him for lead vocals?? Seriously.... Baddest voice in the music biz.. Layne Staley is dead... Warren sings the bluz.. Does Trucks even sing? Trey... no thank you. Please validate your lead vocal to push JB to a back up singer....
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nice!
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thank u... the sound is all we care about :)
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TOOL!!
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@JonathanRobert78 but I *like* Phish too :)
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The four (4) dislikes are Phish phans :/
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Blind man blind man call your dog, he lifts his leg on the fire, just hogging a log....
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The WHITE WIZZARD!
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my birthday....... so many thoughts.
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Awesome
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Incredible
20m 23sLenght
248Rating