The only thing that I have ever done that could be described as a pilgrimage - was to visit Giant Redwood Trees in their natural home in the Sierra Mountains of California. This fine song perhaps goes some of the way to explaining why this vist was so important.


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 Master builder'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.

Lyrics & music © Copyright 1991 by Brian McNeill.