Lyr Req: Gentle Arms of Eden (Dave Carter)

Subject: Lyr Req: Rock me, goddess... arms of eden
From: GUEST,Mrrzy
Date: 18 Apr 06 - 02:15 PM

Heard this on Acoustic Cafe but can't remember when so I can't look it up; I didn't find it in the Trad, either.

Rock me, goddess, in the gentle arms of Eden was one of the lines of the chorus or refrain. It has verses that seemed to me to be about the development of life and how beautiful it is. Lovely, lovely song... anybody? Sung by a woman...

Subject: Lyr Add: GENTLE ARMS OF EDEN (Dave Carter)
From: Peace
Date: 18 Apr 06 - 02:26 PM

GENTLE ARMS OF EDEN
(Dave Carter)

On a sleepy endless ocean when the world lay in a dream,
There was rhythm in the splash and roll, but not a voice to sing;
So the moon shone on the breakers and the morning warmed the waves
Till a single cell did jump and hum for joy as though to say:

CHORUS:
This is my home; this is my only home.
This is the only sacred ground that I have ever known;
And should I stray in the dark night alone.
Rock me, goddess, in the gentle arms of Eden.

Then the day shone bright and rounder till the one turned into two,
And the two into ten thousand things, and old things into new;
And on some virgin beachhead one lonesome critter crawled,
And he looked about and shouted out in his most astonished drawl:

CHORUS: This is my home...

Then all the sky was buzzing and the ground was carpet green,
And the wary children of the wood went dancing in between,
And the people sang rejoicing when the field was glad with grain
This song of celebration from their cities on the plain:

CHORUS: This is my home...

Now there's smoke across the harbor, and there's factories on the shore,
And the world is ill with greed and will and enterprise of war;
But I will lay my burden in the cradle of your grace,
And the shining beaches of your love and the sea of your embrace.

CHORUS: This is my home...

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Rock me, goddess... arms of eden
From: Jeri
Date: 18 Apr 06 - 02:27 PM

Gentle Arms of Eden, written by Dave Carter, and recorded on Drum Hat Buddha. This isn't your recording, just your song.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Rock me, goddess... arms of eden
From: Peace
Date: 18 Apr 06 - 02:28 PM

Chords here.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Rock me, goddess... arms of eden
From: GUEST,Mrr
Date: 18 Apr 06 - 02:29 PM

Thanks, all! Lovely song, eh?

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Rock me, goddess... arms of eden
From: Peace
Date: 18 Apr 06 - 02:32 PM

Yeppers.

Sorry, Jeri. Cross-posted. Your link has the lyris also.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Rock me, goddess... arms of eden
From: WFDU - Ron Olesko
Date: 18 Apr 06 - 03:10 PM

Mrzzy - It may have been Priscilla Herdman's version that you heard. Tracy Grammer also did the song with a group of other musicians on a CD that benefited the Sisters of the Road Cafe in Portland, Oregon.

Subject: ADD: Early Version-Gentle Arms of Eden (D. Carter)
From: Joe Offer
Date: 08 Nov 14 - 09:45 PM

This song seems to have evolved over the years. Here's my transcription of a YouTube video of a live performance of the song by Dave Carter and Tracy Grammer. Carter says this is a "brand-new" song, a couple months old. He says it's "kind of an eco-spirituality number." I put italics on the words that change in later versions.

GENTLE ARMS OF EDEN
(Dave Carter)

On a sleepy endless ocean when the world lay in a dream,
There was rhythm in the splash and roll, but not a voice to sing;
But the moon shone on the breakers and the morning warmed the waves
Till a single cell did jump and hum for joy as though to say:

CHORUS:
This is my home, this is my only home.
This is the only sacred ground that I have ever known;
And should I stray in the dark night alone.
Rock me, goddess, in the gentle arms of Eden.

Then the one shone bright and rounder till the one turned into two,
And the two into ten thousand things, and old things into new;
And on some virgin beachhead one lonesome critter crawled,
And he looked about and shouted out in his most astonished drawl:

CHORUS: This is my home...

Then all the sky was humming and the ground was carpet green,
And the wary children of the woods went dancing in between,
And the people sang rejoicing when the fields were glad with grain
This song of celebration from their cities on the plain:

CHORUS: This is my home...

Now there's smoke across the harbor, and there's factories on the shore,
And the world is ill with greed and will and enterprise of war;
But I will lay my burdens in the cradle of your grace,
And the shining beaches of your love and the sea of your embrace.

CHORUS: This is my home...


I wish I knew when this recording was made.

Subject: ADD Version: Gentle Arms of Eden (Dave Carter)
From: Joe Offer
Date: 08 Nov 14 - 09:56 PM

This is my transcription of the song from the Drum Hat Buddha album (2001). I think you'll see it evolved a bit.

GENTLE ARMS OF EDEN
(Dave Carter)

On a sleepy endless ocean when the world lay in a dream,
There was rhythm in the splash and roll, but not a voice to sing;
So the moon fell on the breakers and the morning warmed the waves
Till a single cell did jump and hum for joy as though to say:

CHORUS:
This is my home, this is my only home.
This is the only sacred ground that I have ever known;
And should I stray in the dark night alone.
Rock me, goddess, in the gentle arms of Eden.

Then the day shone bright and rounder till the one turned into two,
And the two into ten thousand things, and old things into new;
And on some virgin beachhead one lonesome critter crawled,
And he looked about and shouted out in his most astonished drawl:

CHORUS: This is my home...

Then all the sky was buzzing and the ground was carpet green,
And the wary children of the woods went dancing in between,
And the people sang rejoicing when the fields were glad with grain
This song of celebration from their cities on the plain:

CHORUS: This is my home...

Now there's smoke across the harbor, and there's factories on the shore,
And the world is ill with greed and will and enterprise of war;
But I will lay my burdens in the cradle of your grace,
And the shining beaches of your love and the sea of your embrace.

CHORUS: This is my home...

...and then Dave Carter died in July, 2002, at the age of 49. I think this song would have changed and grown over the years if Dave Carter had lived. Here is a recording of the song by Tracy Grammer at a 2013 House Concert in Oregon [and another 2013 performance] - same lyrics as on Drum Hat Buddha. Oh, but what a wonderful song!

-Joe-

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...and one more recording (click)

This is one of four Dave Carter songs that will be included in the Rise Again Songbook:

• The Mountain
• Tanglewood Tree
• Gentle Arms of Eden
• When I Go