We’ve updated our Terms of Use to reflect our new entity name and address. You can review the changes here.
We’ve updated our Terms of Use. You can review the changes here.

Snowblind

by Larry Norman

/
  • Streaming + Download

    Includes unlimited streaming via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality download in MP3, FLAC and more.

    Bonus item: A scan of the CD booklet linear notes.
    Purchasable with gift card

      $10 USD  or more

     

1.
You're sipping whiskey from a paper cup You drown your sorrows till you can't stand up Hey if you're gonna clap you can't clap on the frontbeat, you gotta clap on the back or you're gonna go crazy. It's not doo doo bap a doo doo bap a doo doo bap, it's doo doo doo doo bap a duh duh doo boo doo doo ba. 'Kay? If you know the song you might as well sing it too 'cause otherwise you're just gonna be. I mean you people are crazy. It's from being stranded up here in all this snow isn't it? [Spoken] Y' sipping whiskey from a paper cup Drown your sorrows till you can't stand up Take a look at what you've done to yourself Why don't you put the bottle back on the shelf Yellow fingered from your cigarettes Your hands are shaking while your body sweats Why don't you look into Jesus He's got the answer Boom tch da boodadabuh What happened to all the famous clapping? You don't know what a backbeat is uh? [Spoken] You've got a gonorrhea on Valentine’s day You're still looking for the perfect lay You think rock and roll will set you free You'll be deaf before you're thirty three, just like me You're shooting junk until you're half insane A broken needle in your purple vein Why don't you look into Jesus He's got the answer Sleep all night Work all day You take your money Throw it all away You say you're gonna be a superstar But you never hung around enough To find out who you really are Oh you're doing guitar? Oh okay. I was gonna do a verse but we'll do the instrumental now [Spoken] [Mimics guitar solo] Come on, you can do better than that [Spoken] [Mimics guitar solo] A-think back to when you were a child Your soul was free, your heart ran wild Each day was different, life was a thrill You knew tomorrow would be better still But things have changed, you're much older now If you're unhappy and you don't know how Then why don't you look into Jesus He's got the answers You oughta check it for yourself Look into Jesus He's got the answer Yes he does Why don't you look into Jesus He's got the answer Waaah He's got the You need the He is the answer Yeah yeah yeah [Restarts song after lengthy pause] Mick Jagger is the missing link ​[Chuckles]
2.
​When you first begin your journey You're not sure of who you are And the lessons that you're learning They don't seem to take you far And you just can't keep from stumbling Though you try so hard to stand And the truth can be so humbling When it's just beyond your hand As though youth were my invention As though love lay undefined To stay free was my intention To stay young and unconfined And so I held my pride above you Oh yes what a fool was I Holding back those words God loves you And letting out that word goodbye And I was wrong to let you go I was a child and I did not know About the love that we both could have given And now you're gone so far away I hope I'll see you again someday But if I don't, I hope I'll see you in heaven I was foolish in my younger days To think they'd never end Life confused me with its changing ways I could not comprehend All the meaning in those moments Now lost like footprints in the sand And I'm standing here remembering But it's so hard to understand And I was wrong to let you go I was a child, how could I know About the love that we both could have given And now you're gone so far away I hope I'll see you again someday But if I don't, I hope I'll see you in heaven Hmm-hm-hm-hm-hm-hmm-hmm-hm-hm-hm hm-hm-hmm I've been sitting in this garden In the middle of my days And my memories fade and harden As the years they slip away And I've been looking in this mirror At the age around my eyes Time is such an earnest labourer Precision is his neighbour Lay my body in the ground But let my spirit touch the sky I was wrong to let you go I was a child, how could I know About the love that we both could have, should have given And now you're gone so far away I hope I'll see you again someday But if I don't, I hope I'll see you in heaven If I don't, I hope I'll see you in heaven Well if I don't, I hope I'll see you in heaven
3.
Messiah 02:57
​Messiah took this world by force Messiah took this world by force I could hear children crying I could see people dying I could see the cities falling I could hear the saviour calling Messiah Messiah Messiah He took this world by force [x2] Red clouds blotted out the sun Darkness fell on everyone Rivers of blood were running I could see the armies coming I could see their weapons falling I could hear the angels calling Messiah Messiah Messiah Took this world by force [x2] The bear from the north And the dragon from the east Descended upon the armies of Israel And slaughtered them And in that moment on that day The chosen of Israel cried out for Messiah And Messiah came Messiah Messiah Messiah Messiah Messiah He took this world by force [x2] He took this world by force [x2]
4.
​​​In the midst of the war he offered us peace He came like a lover from out of the east With the face of an angel and the heart of a beast His intentions were six sixty six He walked up to the temple with gold in his hand And he bought off the priests and propositioned the land And the world was his harlot and laid in the sand While the band played Six sixty six He told us he loved us, that was a lie There was blood in his pockets and death in his eyes A number is up and I'm willing to die If the band will play six sixty six If this song sounds like it's about getting help, I mean he came, in the midst of the war he offered us peace, he came like a lover from out of the east. You know that's what a lot of people will think, is that here's the saviour of mankind, this man has a solution, everything'll be alright now. Woh, it won't [Spoken] We served at his table and slept on the floor But he starved us and beat us, and nailed us to the door And I'm ready to die, I can't take any more And I'm sick of his lies and his tricks He'll make statues walk. We all want peace [Track split here] Well nobody wants to die But there won't be any peace ​A lot of us are afraid of dying in a [Spoken, over continued guitar]
5.
He'll make statues walk. We all want peace [Spoken, on end of Six Sixty Six] Well nobody wants to die. But there won't be any peace. ​A lot of us are afraid of dying in a [stops playing guitar] nuclear holocaust, we're afraid that, that somebody'll push a button and the bombs will start and the missiles will start being exchanged and. You don't need to be afraid of dying. You're going to. Everybody's gonna die. It doesn't really matter, once you're dead whether you died in a car accident or died because a missile landed on you, it doesn't matter But you know you're, especially as, as christians you shouldn't be afraid. God hasn't given us the spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind. The bible says that Jesus is coming back to earth, to take those who believe in him home to be with him. to stay with him. If this is true, there's gonna to have to be an earth for him to come back to. So the world is either going to be destroyed or it's not. Which is the truth? Is Christ coming back? If he's not then I guess you spend the rest of your life uh, worried that somebody's gonna fall asleep and their head will hit the button you know But otherwise we have a hope greater than mere absence of war. You know peace is not the lack of war, peace is the presence of happiness. It's the presence of... [Sighs] I was over in Europe about a month ago and we were in Germany and j', because we were Americans they kept, these kids kept tal', you know, we'd just be walking down the street an', and I guess we didn't look like Germans, and they'd say you're from America? An' yeah. Well, you know, what do you think about all the bomb, why are you bringing all your missiles over here? You know, it didn't occur to me to say well, do you want us to take them away? You know, would you like the people over in, in communist Russia to just kinda trot over the border and take over Germany? I don't know I j', they had such crazy ideas. They, they thought, now these are so', the', this is what some christians thought in eh Belgium and in, and in Holland and Germany, they thought that uh, Reagan might be the Antichrist because he survived a wound And I said wasn't it supposed to be a wound in the head that the Antichrist would survive? Oh yeah. But they're so, it's not that they're anti American, it's that the press you know, I, I, I guess you know a lot of the journalists are not exactly capitalist. They're not exactly freedom oriented. They just, they call Reagan, you know, Ray Gun. Ha ha ha ha ha ha, Uh. And they act like we want to blow, like Reagan wants to blow up the world. Like we, like we're, we're warmongers you know. And, and they believe the Russians are very, the communists are very nice, peace loving people. And I guess they think that they just took over Afghanistan by accident. They were looking for Disneyland or something Well, I guess we're supposed to take an intermission, because I'm supposed to play the piano, but a, they have to fix up things on it. Um, a-um, I'll sing one more song on the guitar. I really like being here, I, the last time I came th', this place is just so. Have you ever been to Nova Scotia, that's another place that's like completely different than California. No, it is. And so is this place. It's, it is. What are you laughing about, that's a compliment? I have so much trouble in California. I, I don't enjoy the, the attitudes of people very mu'. They, they, this is California, they think snow is that stuff you put up your nose. They do California where? It's, it's near the ocean, it's right along the, the side. It's, it's near Mexico and it's near Oregon and Washington. Oh, what city in California? I thought you knew where California was. Yeah, Los Angeles. Yeah, no, I don't think they have cocaine everywhere in California. I think they grow it in Hollywood Um, I enjoy getting letters from some of you. I appreciate what you've, you've said and some of the questions you've asked. I hope that uh, that uh, you realize I, I am personally concerned about things in the world just like you are, that nobody should feel disconnected. You know, Ethiopia is a terrible thing but um, I don't know if the people are getting the food or the government's getting the money and the food and selling it to other countries, you know There's a lot of poor everywhere. You can send your money to India, you can send your money to the mission down here, to the shelter. Or you can go down yourself. You can go down, why don't you go down one night and play checkers? [Spoken]
6.
Moses 08:05
​​Moses tending sheep in the fields one day Thought he heard a burning scrub-brush say Go and free your people From the Pharaoh's hand Go and take them all to the promised land Moses knew that God was talking to him So he set off to Egypt with a vigor and vim Moses bugged the Pharaoh, he bugged him And he bugged him 'Till he got his people free He used real bugs Ow ow ow ow yes indeed Ow ow he got his people free Ow ow Ow Moses on the banks of the wide Red Sea Stuck out a stick and one two three The water rolled back And the people walked down Everybody knew that they wouldn't drown Pharaoh told his army, bring 'em all back Here come the chariots, clickety clack Moses took his stick And he closed up the water And the 'Gyptians all took a bath Ow ow ow ow What a laugh Ow ow they all took a bath Ow ha Dirty 'Gyptians Grab my foot, take my hand Lead me on to the promised land Milk and honey, milk and honey Milk and honey, milk and honey Me and all all of your people are here So keep on sending manna From the atmosphere I thought if the choir sang it it would sound like this [Spoken] Milk and honey, milk and honey Milk and honey, milk and honey Ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh After forty long years in the wilderness They finally saw their potential metropolis They all gave thanks And they all praised the Lord Even though it took time he kept his word He grab-bed their foot and he tooketh their hand And he brung 'em all over To the promised land But it seems to me like an awful long time to be Looking for a home Ow ow ow Mighty long roam Ow ow ow looking for a home Ow ow ow Never borrow money needlessly Borrow from HFC Oh I hate it [Spoken] Uh I'm a poet Duh doh doh doh Uh And I know the last line doesn't make any sense but it did when I was nine. There was a radio advertisement that, for the HFC, which was the Household Finance Company, and they sang [Spoken] Never borrow money needlessly Just when you must Borrow where loans are a specialty From folks you trust Borrow confidently from HFC [Sung acapella] So, see I didn't, I just thought if the Jews were in the desert for forty years and then they got out and if they h', you know, had to build some houses and they didn't have the money they could borrow from HFC. And I didn't know that HFC was not around then. But I didn't know the Jews weren't over, you know so far like five, six thousand years ago that all of that happened. I just thought it was all just happening now When you're little sometimes you think, you hear about Jesus and he's saying, you know, to the little children to come to him and, and sometimes you, before you really know the story of the crucifixion and stuff, you say well, when am I going to see him? Is he coming to our church? 'Cause I know he'd like me. I, I know that he knows all the stuff I do that's wrong, but he still would let me sit on his lap. You just feel that way about Jesus when you're, when you're young, you really love him because he loves you. And I didn't have a sense of history. I didn't understand that ti', you know, for a child there's no time, you know. It's like February and they're saying is it Christmas tomorrow? No, about ten months from now. What's ten? Is that tomorrow? [chuckles] So. Mmm Can't remember if I promised I was gonna sing anything else that was older or. Oh yeah I did. Okay, hmm. I'm just trying to be nice, you know. I'm so tired tonight. I'm, th', uh I'm so exhausted from all this snow and stuff. No, not just here, I mean every place I've been has been snowing lately. You know, you get in your car and then you go about this fast. If you had a motorized wheelchair you could get there sooner. 'Cause of all the ice on the road, you know you can't go fast or you'll fishtail. I saw a truck that had, had like a little cab and then had a long thing and then had another long thing, and the little thing was near the back thing. Like that. Circle the truck, circle the truck, the Indians are coming. Ha Outlaw, huh? Anything I want, I like that person there. Anything you want, I like that. I think that we should have that attitude more often when we're talking to God. Anything you want, I'll do it We', do you wanna hear an old song or a new song? Oh good grief [Spoken]
7.
One Way 03:35
​​One way, one way to heaven Hold up high your head Follow, it's free and forgiven You are children of the lamb Two roads diverged in the middle of my life I heard a wise man say I took the road less traveled by That's made the difference every night and every day And I say one way, one way to heaven Hold your head up high Follow, it's free and forgiven You will be children of the sky In my youth I knew the truth but I spent many years Sitting on the wrong track Now that I'm older, think we should get bolder And it's high time we were getting back If we're off the track Oh oh-oh ​​One way, one way to heaven You've got to hold up high your head Keep your eyes open, watch where you're going Or you will be misled You are children of the sky Children of the sky
8.
​​If the bombs fall, baby I love you If they end it all, baby I love you Through it all, through it all, I want you to know I love you Who can say tomorrow will find its way Who can say the sun will shine today Every year we're older, I watch this world grow colder You and I are still so very young And with love the best is yet to come God has let me choose you and I don’t wanna lose you But if the bombs fall, baby I love you If they end it all, baby I love you Through it all, through it all, I want you to know I love you And through the years and all the long hard miles We’ll shed some tears but we will share some smiles So hide your fears, you know that I love you What about the songs we haven’t sung What about the things we haven’t done Every year we're older but I watch this world grow colder You and I are still so very young And with love the best is yet to come God has let me choose you and I don’t wanna lose you But if the bombs fall, baby I love you If they end it all, baby I love you Through it all, through it all, I want you to know I love you
9.
Backstage, I cross the middle ground Curtain up and house lights down I sing these love songs, I try and pass my heart around But afterwards Some people say they thought I tried to put them down They feel so bad It does not matter what I say I hope tomorrow they have a better day They seem so lost They need release They need your strong love and strange peace Reporters question me, is this a new direction for the young How lamb like their faces But how snake like their tongues They quote me perfectly Then rewrite every word I speak And go away convinced we're all some new kind of freaks Jesus freaks [Spoken] I feel so good inside Does not matter what they say I hope tomorrow they have a better day They seem so lost We're all lost We need release We need your strong love and your strange peace Please give us your strong love and your strange peace We need your strong love and your strange peace
10.
I was alone, I needed love Hope was fading fast Slipping right on past Then by some grand design She came along and heard my song And sang the harmony She was right on key And she was right on time And I am hers, she is mine We sing together now She knows the words somehow I love her true And we sing the tune Love is a song from heaven She is the one that I've been given I was unsure, I was afraid She reached out to me And she helped me see That I still had a chance I still had a chance To open up, to come alive And to love again It was only then That I joined in the dance Oh-oh And I am hers, she is mine We sing together now She knows the words somehow And I love her true And we sing the tune
11.
The Tune 09:11
​Once there was a tune And everyone knew how it went But as time went by People began to forget Until at last no one could remember And there was sadness and hatred and wars, death And one day somebody said how does the tune go Well there is no tune, there never was, it’s only a myth These were the philosophers You mean there's no tune at all Well, it doesn't really matter what tune you play As long as you play something And you don't hurt anybody These were the religious leaders And so the world continued There was hatred, wars and death And one by one people became weary Until at last one day as people were sitting on the side of a hill They heard a strange noise And a man appeared before them with a smile on his face And kind of a sad look too And some of the people began to sing along La la la la la… Hey this sounds like the tune Shut up, there is no tune, there never was, there never will be But it doesn't really matter what tune you play As long as you play something And you don't hurt anybody, especially me And he just looked at them And the people that loved him Decided to follow him And the people that hated him Decided to kill him And they did And when it was finished They went back to their houses of philosophy and religion And they sat down to their tables to eat and to drink They were interrupted And they went over to their windows and looked outside To see who it was singing the tune It was him And while they were watching Something very strange happened How did he do that I don't really know But when trouble goes, you don't ask where I mean he's gone, can't see him And eh, and um, he's gone And, and he'll never return again, I hope And they went back to their tables to finish their meals Which were lukewarm by now They were interrupted They were beginning to get indigestion And this time they ran out into the streets to lay hold of him But they couldn't find him anywhere Just a lot of people walking around, kinda smiling And they all knew the tune La la la la la… And they noticed something strange about these people When they made a mistake They stopped, and they listened La la la la… That's how they knew how the tune went Because they listened And if you're listening Well, all around you there's a tune You can hear it if you just listen Just listen to your radio Watch television Read the newspapers Cosmopolitan But if you really listen quietly You can hear another tune But you have to listen quietly And you have to listen every day La la la la la la la ​La la la la la la la ​[Chuckles]
12.
​I am a servant, I am listening for my name I sit here waiting and I keep looking at this game That I keep playing, and I keep staying much the same When you are lonely, you're the only one to blame I am a servant, I am listening for your call I've been unfaithful, so I sit here in the hall How can you use me when I've never given all How can you choose me when you know I quickly fall But you touch my soul, you help me grow You let me know you love me I might feel worthless now, help me make a vow And humbly bow before thee Oh please use me, I am lonely I am a servant, getting ready for my part At last I'm learning there's no returning once I start Help me to follow and be courageous in my heart To live's a privilege, to love is such an art But I need your help to start Oh please purify my heart I am your servant​ Unfaithful servant ​Good night and God bless you [Spoken]

about

The Norman Invasion! What happens when you combine a Norman with a Mormon? Larry came walking into Utah with no posse and no agenda. He free-formed his concert this particular night and it was dramatically different from his usual performances. He even improvised at length at the piano, something he almost never did.

Live, solo, Utah, covered in snow, 1980s.

credits

released April 1, 2004

Cover photograph taken by Norman Nabney.

license

all rights reserved

tags

about

Larry Norman Los Angeles, California

American musician, singer, songwriter, record label owner, and record producer. Norman had a major influence on artists as diverse as The Pixies, Guns n' Roses, and U2. After his death in 2008 his most well-known album, 1972's Only Visiting This Planet, was selected for inclusion in The United States Library of Congress for its cultural significance and impact on American culture. ... more

contact / help

Contact Larry Norman

Streaming and
Download help

Redeem code

Report this album or account

If you like Larry Norman, you may also like: