DT Correction: Let It Be a Dance (Ric Masten)

Subject: Origins: Let It Be a Dance
From: Joe Offer
Date: 15 Mar 21 - 07:36 PM

Lots of differences between this and the version in the Digital Tradition. Anybody have definitive lyrics?

Thread #5077   Message #116902
Posted By: Davey
23-Sep-99 - 12:47 PM
Thread Name: Folksongs Appropriate for a Wedding
Subject: Lyr Add: Let It Be a Dance^^

My partner and I learned this song about 6 or 7 years ago, and when we brought it to our song circle for the first time, immediately after singing it we were enthusiastically asked to sing it again, the first, and to my knowledge the only, time that has happened. Since then we have been asked to sing it many times, and had the pleasure of singing it at my daughter's wedding. The title now adorns my guitar strap (carved by Rick Fielding) Let It Be a Dance

by Rick Maston (Methodist Minister from California, around 30 yrs ago.) [Somebody thought Ric Masten was a Unitarian Universalist minister]

Let it be a dance we do
May I have this dance with you
For the good times and the bad times too
Let it be a dance.

Let a dancing song be heard
Play the music, say the words
Fill the sky with sailing birds
Let it be a dance, let it be a dance, let it be a dance.

Every body turn and spin
Let your bodies learn to bend
Like a willow in the wind
And let it be a dance.

A child is born, we all must die
A time for joy, a time to cry
So take it as it passes by
And let it be a dance, let it be a dance, let it be a dance.

Let it be a dance we do
May I have this dance with you
For the good times and the bad times too
Let it be a dance

Instrumental break:

The morning star comes out at night
Without the dark there'd be no light
Yet if nothing's wrong then nothing's right
So let it be a dance, let it be a dance, let it be a dance

Let the sun shine, let it rain
Share the laughter, bear the pain
Round and round we go again
And let it be a dance.

Let it be a dance we do
May I have this dance with you
For the good times and the bad times too
Let it be a dance

---

---

LET IT BE A DANCE (DT Lyrics)
(Rick Maston)

Let it be a dance we do.
May I have this dance with you?
For the good times, and the bad times too,
Let it be a dance.

Let a dancing song be heard.
Play the music. Say the words.
Fill the sky with sailing birds.
Let it be a dance. Let it be a dance. Let it be a dance.

Every body turn and spin.
Let your bodies learn to bend
Like a willow in the wind,
And let it be a dance.

A child is born. We all must die.
A time for joy, a time to cry --
So, take it as it passes by,
And let it be a dance. Let it be a dance. Let it be a dance.

Let it be a dance we do.
May I have this dance with you?
For the good times, and the bad times too,
Let it be a dance.

The morning star comes out at night.
Without the dark, there'd be no light.
Yet, if nothing's wrong, then nothing's right.
So, let it be a dance. Let it be a dance. Let it be a dance.

Let the sun shine. Let it rain.
Share the laughter. Bear the pain.
Round and round we go again,
And let it be a dance.

Let it be a dance we do.
May I have this dance with you?
For the good times, and the bad times too,
Let it be a dance.

Copyright Rick Marsden
filename[ LETBDANC
XX

Subject: RE: Origins: Let It Be a Dance
From: cnd
Date: 15 Mar 21 - 08:09 PM

Here's Ric Masten singing his song, which he wrote in 1977.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c3s1XkTZEos (live)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eeX2K_sm0wo (album)

I can transcribe the lyrics at a later date but not for a little while.

Subject: ADD Version: Let It Be a Dance (poetic version)
From: Joe Offer
Date: 16 Mar 21 - 02:05 AM

Here's Google Books information about the 2008 book by Ric Masten, Going Out Dancing:

Troubadour poet and folk singer Ric Masten became a Unitarian Universalist minister in 1971. In his pioneer ministry, Masten has become known nationwide as a traveling musical ambassador of liberal religion. Fighting cancer since 1999, he keeps an online journal documenting his in a home that he built himself in the Palo Colorado Canyon in California's Big Sur country.

Diagnosed with terminal prostate cancer in February 1999, Ric Masten has survived for nine years and counting. For decades, Masten's unique mix of minstrel ministry and poetic philosophy has challenged and inspired audiences in many settings conferences, colleges, schools, and churches across the country. These poems reveal his humorous, unflinching, and edgy take on mortality and living with illness.

Lyrics from the 2008 book, Going Out Dancing (page 1)

LET IT BE A DANCE
(Ric Masten)

Let it be a dance we do.
May I have this dance with you?
For the good times
and the bad times, too,
Let it be a dance.

Let a dancing song be heard.
Play the music, say the words,
and fill the sky with sailing birds.
Let it be a dance.
Learn to follow, learn to lead,
feel the rhythm, fill the need
to reap the harvest, plant the seed.
Let it be a dance.

Everybody turn and spin,
let your body learn to bend,
and, like a willow with the wind,
let it be a dance.
A child is born, the old must die;
a time for joy, a time to cry.
Take it as it passes by.
Let it be a dance.

Morning star comes out at night,
without the dark there is no light.
If nothing's wrong, then nothing's right.
Let it be a dance.
Let the sun shine, let it rain;
share the laughter, bare the pain,
and round and round we go again.
Let it be a dance.

Let it be a dance we do.
May I have this dance with you?
Through the good times
and the bad times, too,
let it be a dance.

Copyright Ric Masten 2008

Subject: DT Corr: Let It Be a Dance (Ric Masten)
From: Joe Offer
Date: 16 Mar 21 - 02:21 AM

And here are the lyrics on the 1978 Rich Masten Record, Let It Be a Dance.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eeX2K_sm0wo

The album was produced by Bob Reid, who is well known in the San Francisco Folk Music Club

LET IT BE A DANCE (Corrected DT Lyrics)
(Ric Masten)

CHORUS
Let it be a dance we do.
May I have this dance with you?
Through the good times, and the bad times too,
Let it be a dance.

Let a dancing song be heard.
Play the music. Say the words.
And fill the sky with sailing birds.
And let it be a dance. Let it be a dance. Let it be a dance.

Learn to follow, learn to lead,
feel the rhythm, fill the need
to reap the harvest, plant the seed.
And let it be a dance.
CHORUS

Everybody turn and spin.
Let your body learn to bend
And like a willow in* the wind,
Let it be a dance. Let it be a dance. Let it be a dance.

A child is born, the old must die.
A time for joy, a time to cry --
So, take it as it passes by,
And let it be a dance.
CHORUS

The morning star comes out at night.
Without the dark, there could be no light.
And if nothing's wrong, then nothing's right.
So let it be a dance. Let it be a dance. Let it be a dance.

Let the sun shine. Let it rain.
Share the laughter. Bare* the pain.
Round and round we go again,
And let it be a dance.
CHORUS



Copyright Ric Masten
filename[ LETBDANC
XX

And here is a very nice live performance: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c3s1XkTZEos
In this version, Ric sings like a willow with the wind. *Some printed versions have "bear the pain."

Subject: ADD Version: Let It Be a Dance (Ric Masten)-Hymnal
From: Joe Offer
Date: 16 Mar 21 - 02:46 AM

In a comment after the live YouTube recording, Ted Lightfoot said, "I love hearing this Ric's way --not the way the UU hymnbook commission "fixed" it. I just wish it had lyrics so that people would read "bare the pain" (not "bear the pain" as it is often mistakenly printed)."

Sure enough, the song is #311 in the Unitarian Universalist hymnal, Singing the Living Tradition (1993). Let's see what they did with it.

LET IT BE A DANCE
(Ric Masten)

CHORUS
Let it be a dance we do.
May I have this dance with you?
Through the good times and the bad times too,
Let it be a dance.

Let a dancing song be heard.
Play the music, say the words,
and fill the sky with sailing birds.
Let it be a dance. Let it be a dance. Let it be a dance.
Learn to follow, learn to lead,
feel the rhythm, fill the need
to reap the harvest, plant the seed.
Let it be a dance.
CHORUS

Everybody turn and spin,
let your body learn to bend,
and, like a willow with the wind,
Let it be a dance. Let it be a dance. Let it be a dance.
A child is born, the old must die;
a time for joy, a time to cry.
Take it as it passes by,
Let it be a dance.
CHORUS

Morning star comes out at night,
without the dark, there is no light.
If nothing's wrong, then nothing's right.
Let it be a dance. Let it be a dance. Let it be a dance.
Let the sun shine, let it rain;
share the laughter, bear the pain,
and round and round we go again.
Let it be a dance.
CHORUS


Well, the UU hymnal version is almost the same as Ric's performance, except that Ric's book has "bare the pain" and the hymnal has "bare," which is indeed more powerful but sounds identical....