The Tao Song

Subject: The Tao
From: GUEST,F the Ineffable
Date: 25 Jul 22 - 12:31 AM

The Tao
Tune: Texas Rangers
Words: F the Ineffable

Chinese scholar Ken Rose told me he wanted to familiarize people with the Tao te Ching. “It’s the second-most translated book in the world, next to the Bible,” he said. “We don’t need another translation. Do you think you could set it to music?”
         I chose the most inappropriate tune I could think of: Texas Rangers, as sung by Ian and Sylvia.


Come all ye worthy scholars, and listen while I sing
About an ancient Chinese book they call the Tao te Ching.
Attributed to Lao Tse, an ancient Chinese sage
There’s ancient Chinese wisdom on each and every page.

My words are very easy, he says, to understand
But this is taking far more time and thought than I had planned.
I wonder as I wander beneath the redwood trees        
If I could understand it if I had learned Chinese.

This Tao it is like water, not earth or air or fire.
And if you would obtain it, you must give be without desire.
This Tao it is not something that you can see or touch
And I have never ever wanted anything so much.

The Tao does not do anything, yet nothing's left undone.         
So I'll boil up my Chinese herbs and go out in the sun.
But while I sit here trying to be without desire,
The pile of things I’ve left undone grows higher and higher and higher.

The Tao that can be spoken of is not the one true Tao.
You can’t get milk and butter from a painting of a cow.
This Tao is made of yin and yang, it’s everywhere you look,
But I can’t tell you any more until I’ve read the book.

Subject: RE: The Tao Song
From: michaelr
Date: 30 Jul 22 - 02:52 AM

Brilliant!