Tuesday, May 16, 2017

Wings Of Rainbow Flame

Wings Of Rainbow Flame
Surazeus
2009 04 27



When Blind Lemon Jefferson, clutching guitar,
got lost in a freezing Chicago snow storm,
and burned his tongue on sugarless coffee,
a golden angel on wings of rainbow flame
came to him and took his groping hands,
and sang, I will keep watch over your grave.

When Lead Belly got buck shot in his belly
and locked in prison for swinging a knife
to protect his girl from a rapist banker,
a golden angel on wings of rainbow flame
came to him rotting in dank iron-bar cell,
and sang, take this hammer to your captain.

When T-Bone Walker walked graveyard bones
in Monday storm, looking for lost sweetheart,
and sang blues instead of praying in church,
a golden angel on wings of rainbow flame
came to him with a winning queen high flush,
and sang, I transformed a tiger into your wife.

When Robert Johnson met tall black devil
at tombstone of Tashunca in midnight moon,
who tuned guitar strings with magic power,
a golden angel on wings of rainbow flame
came to him as Legba knocking on his door,
and sang, I burned your body down with soul.

When Muddy Waters twanged electric strings
for lightning to crackle over Chicago skies,
and surfed Mount Sinai on a rolling stone,
a golden angel on wings of rainbow flame
came to him with pure dry black cat bones,
and sang, I got your mojo flashing neon eyes.

When Mississippi John Hurt laid rail lines,
swinging high hammer of John Henry hard,
and plowed wet Earth to plant golden wheat,
a golden angel on wings of rainbow flame
came to him with dove of Noah in open hands,
and sang, go home to Avalon on that long train.

When Howling Wolf Chester drove up north
on Blues Highway Sixty One to see his ma
and she threw down his devil music money,
a golden angel on wings of rainbow flame
came to him with gasoline instead of water,
and sang, church bells toll as a hearse rolls slow.

When Big Bill Broonzy came back from Europe
fighting for freedom, he cleaned with his hands,
getting paid half a dollar for same hard work,
a golden angel on wings of rainbow flame
came to him with a thousand dollar guitar,
and sang, get back to singing old river blues.

When Woody Guthrie roamed ribbon highway
over wheat fields from rolling dust clouds
across diamond deserts to lush grape hills
a golden angel on wings of rainbow flame
came to him with a torch of freedom light,
and sang, this land was made for you and me.

When Bob Zimmerman, jingle-jangle Jokerman,
heard chimes of freedom on Desolation Row,
and translated visions blowing in a new wind,
a golden angel on wings of rainbow flame
came to him with key to locked gate of heaven,
and sang, how does it feel to be a rolling stone.

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