Lyr Req: Medicine Wheel (Kate Wolf)

Subject: Lyr Req: Medicine Wheel - Kate Wolf
From: Genie
Date: 14 Nov 08 - 07:09 PM

I just discovered this wonderful Kate Wolf song, Medicine Wheel.

I might be able to transcribe the lyrics from the audio file, but I'm not sure I'd get them right.

Anyway, if someone already has them and will post them, that'll be quicker.

Thanks,

Genie

Subject: Lyr/Chords Add: MEDICINE WHEEL (Kate Wolf)
From: katlaughing
Date: 14 Nov 08 - 07:21 PM

I don't think I've ever heard this one before, Genie. Thank you, so much, for posting the link. Here are the lyrics I found, sorry some of the formatting may be messed up:

    Em                                                       D                            Em
       When the morning breaks and the sunlight warms my soul
                   Em                                          D
       In the East the Eagle flies, and the Red Tail proudly soars
                         Em               G          G/F#       Em
       I'm on my way~ to the place of the spirit one
                   G                                             D    add2
       Grandfather hear me now, I am on fire
                     Em                                                    G
       Let the sundance guide my feet to your desire
                      D
       Show me visions for my eyes
               Am                                                      D    add2
       And words like gold that shimmer in the sun
               Em       D         Em
       Hyi-ah, hyi-ah, hyi-ah

       When the sun goes down and it grows too dark to see
       I look within to the Shaman's mysteries
       I'm on my way~ to die and live, again
       Grandmother Earth I cry, give me rest
       I take my place with the woman in the West
       Show me the Raven and the Bear
       The way of herbs and the black obsidian
       Hyi-ah, hyi-ah, hyi-ah

       Turn toward the South, like water I will run
       In innocence and trust the Moonchild's song is sung
       I'm on my way~ to the place of the sacred plants
       My emotions and my will at their command
       Where the Turtle's voice is heard upon the land
       Where the wise Coyote prowls
       The Rattlesnake will call me to the dance
       Hyi-ah, hyi-ah, hyi-ah

       In the deepest night when the stars watch over me
       Old Woman of the North my mind seeks clarity
       I'm on my way~ to the place of the Northern winds
       Let the Thunder and the Lightning carry me
       Lay my thoughts to rest and send me into sleep
       With the Hawk and the Buffalo
       My dreams white crystal magic medicine
       Hyi-ah, hyi-ah, hyi-ah

               D          Em
       Hyi-ah, hyi-ah...
      



Copyright 1983 Another Sundown Publishing Co.
By Kate Wolf
Give Yourself To Love

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Medicine Wheel - Kate Wolf
From: katlaughing
Date: 14 Nov 08 - 07:28 PM

After listening to the video with the lyrics in front of me, I changed "Give" me visions, to "Show" me visions, as she sings it. Also, "I look within the Shaman's "mystery" changed to "mysteries" as she sings it.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Medicine Wheel - Kate Wolf
From: Genie
Date: 14 Nov 08 - 08:49 PM

Thanks so much, Kat!

I've listened to Kate singing it again, with your lyrics posted, and I think this is correct (with the chords inserted so they'll show up in the right place if you use NoteWorthy or whatever that program is that prints out lyrics with chords over the right words).

It does sound clearly like "mysteries" to me, but I hear "Show" me, not "Give" me.   
There are a couple other places where I hear the lyrics ever so slightly different from the ones you posted.

Genie

   
      
       MEDICINE WHEEL
       Words and music by Kate Wolf ©1982, Another Sundown Publishing Co.

                                                                                
       Wh[Em] en the morning breaks and the su[D]nlight warms my so[Em]ul,
       In the E[Em]ast the Eagle flies and the R[D]ed Tail proudly soars.
       I'm on my w[Em]ay
       To the pla[G]ce of the sp[G/F#]irit o[Em]ne.
       Grandfather hear me now, I am on fi[D add 2]re.
       Let the su[Em]ndance guide my feet to your des[G]ire.
       Show me vi[D]sions for my eyes
      And wo[Am]rds like gold that shimmer in the s[D add2]un.
       Hiy-a[Em]h, hiy-a[D]h, hiy-a[Em]h.

       When the sun goes down and it grows too dark to see,
       I look within to the Shaman's mysteries.
       I'm on my way
       To die and live, again.
       Grandmother Earth, I cry, "Give me rest!
       I take my place with the woman in the West.
       Show me the Raven and the Bear,
       The way of herbs and the black obsidian."
       Hiy-ah, hiy-ah, hiy-ah.

       Turn toward the South, like the water I will run.
       In innocence and trust the Moonchild's song is sung.
       I'm on my way
       To the place of the sacred plants,
       My emotions and my will at their command,
       Where the Turtle's voice is heard upon the land.
       Where the wise Coyote prowls,
       The Rattlesnake will call me to the dance.
       Hiy-ah, hiy-ah, hiy-ah.

             

In the deepest night, when the stars watch over me,
       Old Woman of the North, my mind seeks clarity.
       I'm on my way
       To the place of the Northern winds.
       Let the Thunder and the Lightning carry m,e
       Lay my thoughts to rest and send me into sleep
       With the Hawk and the Buffalo,
       My dreams white crystal magic medicine.
       Hiy-ah, hiy-ah, hiy-ah

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Medicine Wheel - Kate Wolf
From: Genie
Date: 14 Nov 08 - 09:21 PM

Oops, Kat. I see it was you who changed "Give" to "Show." And you're right.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Medicine Wheel - Kate Wolf
From: bubblyrat
Date: 15 Nov 08 - 07:16 AM

Karen (Wild Flying Dove) and I have been doing this song for about 9 months now,as we both like Kate Wolf (we do "Across the Great Divide" and "Give youself to Love " too ).It always attracts comment----so few people seem to have heard of the late (tragically) KW,which is a pity,as she was a great songwriter (and singer,of course ).

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Medicine Wheel - Kate Wolf
From: open mike
Date: 15 Nov 08 - 01:57 PM

i always thought she wrote this while experiencing her life's end
she had leukemia i do not remember the year she died but this
was written in 1982. there is a wonderful music festival held in
her memory every year in the end of june. ahh,,,the late, great Kate.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Medicine Wheel - Kate Wolf
From: katlaughing
Date: 15 Nov 08 - 05:26 PM

I think she died in 1986, but of course she may have already been ill in '82. I didn't really know about her until Joe Offer sent me a CD of hers. At the time I was too sad to appreciate her more melancholy songs; I now have much more of an appreciation.

Subject: Lyric Add: Medicine Wheel - Kate Wolf
From: Genie
Date: 15 Nov 08 - 07:22 PM

1986 sounds right to me too.
(I once thought Kate had written Across The Great Divide with reference to her own life-and-death struggle with leukemia, but I later learned she wrote it quite a while before she died and for someone else she knew who was facing death.)

Interestingly, I don't hear this song as melancholy, even if she did write it in response to her impending transition.   

---

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Medicine Wheel - Kate Wolf
From: pdq
Date: 15 Nov 08 - 08:29 PM

Kate Wolf looked happy and healthy for her Austin City Limits show and gave a strong performance. That was in November, 1985. She became tired and listless in early 1986 and went to the doctors who diagnosed the Leukemia. She died in December of that year and very little of what she wrote was done in the last year. Many people in central California thought he she was a major star, but she was criminally neglected by the rest of the world during her life.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Medicine Wheel - Kate Wolf
From: Genie
Date: 15 Nov 08 - 09:56 PM

"Criminally" is right, pdq."

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Medicine Wheel - Kate Wolf
From: bubblyrat
Date: 16 Nov 08 - 10:09 AM

Not long after Karen & I started performing "Across The Great Divide", I found an old book about " World Railways" in the garage.After reading for a while,I came to the chapter about Canada, and discovered that there is a place there ( near Banff ?? ) called "The Great Divide", where there is a river that divides and flows off in different directions ! So is that the inspiration then ?? Anyone know ??

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Medicine Wheel - Kate Wolf
From: pdq
Date: 16 Nov 08 - 11:01 AM

It is interestion that you mention a river that divides and goes in two directions. The Great Divide usually means different rivers. The Rio Grande and the Colorado River both start in the State of Colorado, but one heads southeast and empties in the Bay Of Mexico. The Colorado River goes southwest and empties in the Gulf of California.

The Great Divide in the US is a common name for our Continental Divide which all continents have, exception being Antarctica. It goes the entire length of North America and another one starts when you get to South America.

Since Kate Wolf mentions the direction of rivers in the song, it surely was her inspiration, but I'm sure it has additional implications in the song.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Medicine Wheel (Kate Wolf)
From: scouse
Date: 25 Jan 12 - 04:12 AM

It's not on you tube anymore,some one's removed it???
As Aye,
Phil