Lyr Add: Muir and the Master Builder (B McNeill)

Subject: Lyr Add: MUIR AND THE MASTER BUILDER (B McNeill)
From: Wolfgang
Date: 18 Aug 00 - 05:09 AM

Jeri has provided a link to this song today, I had linked to it nearly two years ago, Skw@ has praised it in the forum, Mbo has sung it in Hearme, so I decided it's about time to have the lyrics here in full beauty, not just buried in a link hoping they'll make the way into DT heaven. I copied and pasted them from the webpage on this song. ('Back o' the North wind' is an outstanding CD.)

Wolfgang

MUIR AND THE MASTER BUILDER
(Brian McNeill)

I asked the Master Builder
Why did he make John Muir
From the seed of a man, so hard and unforgiving.
A father who tried to use the Gospel to ensure
That his son's life would never be worth living

And the Lord's voice answered on the High Sierra wind
From the mountains where the clear waters lie, saying:
"Hold the bravest heart, above the gravest of sins
And I'll show you how to make a hero rise"

Chorus:
Leave Calvin and the Bible
To the parish o' Dunbar
Give a blind man back his eyes to find
The brightest o' the stars
Then lead him to the altar of a better God by far
In the vale of the redwood cathedral

I asked the Master Builder, how did he find a way
To put the man in the mountains
And the mountains in the man?
How long did he search to find the uncommon clay
That he needed for his Masterbuilder's plan?
And the Lord's voice came down from the High Sierra skies
Saying: "Take a heart, - of hard Scottish stone
Plant the seed of a wild place, deep down inside
And I'll show you how to call a hero home"

Chorus:
Leave Calvin and the Bible
To the parish o' Dunbar
Give a blind man back his eyes to find
The brightest o' the stars
The lead him to the altar of a better God by far
In the vale of the redwood cathedral

And as I stand by the thunder of the roaring mountain falls
And hear California call you saviour
I cannot help but wonder, had a different fortune called
Would you have done the same for Scotland the Brave -
Your home and your father's

Chorus:
Leave Calvin and the Bible
To the parish o' Dunbar
Give a blind man back his eyes to find
The brightest o' the stars
The lead him to the altar of a better God by far
In the vale of the redwood cathedral

God lives above the redwoods, so men say
Looking down, straight and true at the best of all his treasures
And if a man should stand among them to pray
It's against them the Lord would take his measure.
And who grew straighter than long Johnny Muir?
A redwood of flesh, blood and bone
Filled by the Master Builder with a passion so pure
For the mountains no single man can own.

Chorus:
Leave Calvin and the Bible
To the parish o' Dunbar
Give a blind man back his eyes to find
The brightest o' the stars
They lead him to the altar of a better God by far
In the vale of the redwood cathedral.
^^

---

Click for other John Muir Songs

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Muir and the master builder
From: Jeri
Date: 18 Aug 00 - 09:49 AM

Thanks Wolfgang. When I linked to in the other thread, it wasn't what the person was looking for at all, but it's still a masterpiece of a song. I have recordings of this by both Brian McNeill and Dick Gaughan, and both can give me goose bumps.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Muir and the master builder
From: Wolfgang
Date: 18 Aug 00 - 10:03 AM

Yes, Jeri, I saw that your link wasn't what was wanted but it actually triggered my copy&paste job by reminding me that song which I know from the same two recordings.

Wolfgang

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Muir and the master builder
From: Margaret V
Date: 18 Aug 00 - 10:52 AM

Thanks, Wolfgang. I don't have a recording of this but heard Dick Gaughan sing it at a show back in April and was blown away. Now THAT'S some songwriting! Margaret

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Muir and the master builder
From: Wolfgang
Date: 18 Aug 00 - 11:33 AM

If you like this song you might also like The best of the barley also from Brian McNeill which I have posted 18 months ago (not in the DT yet). It makes me feel like posting also 'Strong women rule us all with their tears', another beauty from 'Back o' the North Wind'.

Wolfgang

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Muir and the master builder
From: KathWestra
Date: 18 Aug 00 - 12:11 PM

Another recording of this extraordinary song is by Ed Miller. His version is, in fact, my favorite. Having grown up a Calvinist and turned out an environmentalist, I have found special meaning in this song since I first heard it. It is one of a very few songs that can still bring tears to my eyes after many hearings. A gem. Kathy

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Muir and the master builder
From: The Shambles
Date: 18 Aug 00 - 01:28 PM

"God lives above the redwoods, so men say".

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Muir and the master builder
From: MMario
Date: 29 Apr 03 - 04:05 PM

tune?

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Muir and the master builder
From:
Date: 29 Apr 03 - 07:56 PM

Funny the Muir and the Master Builder made it into the current edition of the DT, but the Best of the Barley didn't.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Muir and the master builder
From: Bill the Collie
Date: 23 Oct 04 - 02:40 AM

I took Muir and the master builder on a portable CD player to the Muir Woods near San Francisco.
The sight of the redwoods,
The smell of the trees,
The sound of McNeill's tour de force...
Damn near drove me spiritual.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Muir and the Master Builder (B McNeill)
From: Gingerbeardman
Date: 14 Jul 10 - 06:35 PM

Brilliant song about a great man. Does anyone have the chords for this, perhaps from the 'Back o' the North wind' songbook? Seems to be diificult to find.
(Is Mudcatiquette to start a seperate Chords Req thread for this?)

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Muir and the Master Builder (B McNeill)
From: michaelr
Date: 14 Jul 10 - 07:15 PM

Mudcatter Wolfgang has the songbook (or he did in 02, anyway). Why not ask him via PM?

Subject: Chords Add: MUIR AND THE MASTER BUILDER (B McNeil)
From: Susanne (skw)
Date: 15 Jul 10 - 08:52 PM

I'll try to oblige (though I don't know the first thing about chords):

   G               D       D                  G
I asked the master builder, why did he make John Muir
          Bm          A    G             A      
From the seed of a man so hard and unforgiving?
   G       D                D             G   
A father who tried to use the Gospel to ensure
          Bm             G               A       A
That his son's life would never be worth living
         Bm          Bm             A                A
And the Lord's voice whispered on the High Sierra wind
          Bm                A7    G       Bm    Bm      
From the mountains where the clear waters lie
         G             D               G          D
Saying, Hold the bravest heart above the gravest of sins
          G               D          A         A
And I'll show you how to make a hero rise

Chorus:
      D             G D         D      G      D
Leave Calvin and the Bible to the parish o' Dunbar
       F#m                Bm               D                     A
Give a blind man back his eyes to find the brightest o' the stars
      D             Bm          G             G
Then lead him to the altar of a better God by far
       G          G         A       A    A
In the vale of the redwood cathedral

Middle section:
          Bm          Bm             A                      A
And as I stand by the thunder of the roaring mountain falls
    Bm       G             Bm       Bm   
And hear California call you saviour
   G               D             G                D
I cannot help but wonder, had a different fortune called
                G                G          A   
Would you have done the same for Scotland the Brave
    A             A7            A7
Your home and your father's?

Last verse:
    G               D                G       G
God lives above the redwoods, so men say
         Bm                A          G               A
Looking down straight and true at the best of all his treasures
          G                  D          G          G
And if a man should stand among them to pray
       Bm             G                  A       A
It's against them the Lord will take his measure

Great song!

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Muir and the Master Builder (B McNeill)
From: Gingerbeardman
Date: 16 Jul 10 - 06:59 PM

Thanks very much Susanne, great stuff. I think posting has knocked the chords a bit skewiff over the words but that's easy to adjust listening to the song.

I'm sure Bill the Collie was right that this song sounds fantastic played in the californian forest - the slightly tamer John Muir grove in the edinburgh botanics'll have to do me for now.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Muir and the Master Builder (B McNeil
From: Susanne (skw)
Date: 17 Jul 10 - 03:56 AM

Afraid you're right, GBM. It shouldn't happen but I don't know how to keep them in position. I could send you a photocopy, of course, or bring the book when I get to Scotland in September. Just PM me.