Aboriginal Art

Dreaming Beyond Aboriginal Art...

Only six months after his LOCAL FOLK cd, Gordon released DREAMING BEYOND ABORIGINAL ART... and answered the request for many of his songs heard at his live performances. Up close and personal... he deals with universal themes that extend beyond these island shores. For example, SAD MARY is a beautiful song that addresses domestic violence... while SAY GOODBYE TO SAILOR MAN has become a popular song to play at Navy retirement ceremonies around the world. Check out the song he wrote for the USS Arizona Memorial... It's a Home Grown winner !

In a Star Bulletin review, John Berger said, "...Peaceful Arizona is the best Pearl Harbor song to date..." That review also stated what most of us already know... his "debut album,'Local Folk' was brilliant. His newest one, 'DREAMING BEYOND ABORIGINAL ART...' equals it." Check out the pictures formed by these lyrics. Read a wonderful letter from a fifth grade school teacher describing their Peaceful Arizona Experience. You can visit his tribute site and link to some wonderful sites that keep the historical record of Pearl Harbor straight and true. In 1999 this album earned him another Hawai'I Music Award and recognition as Hawaii's Country Artist of the Year for the second year in a row.

"I draw the themes for my songs from things I see or read about everyday. It could be something I hear on the news or even a bumper sticker or something somebody said that gets stuck in my head. I am mostly proud of the versatility these songs have… they can be performed soft or hard without losing their message or the story in the lyrics. They are not contrived and reliant on a hook-line repeated 50 times in 3 minutes... they are all original and a reflection of the world as I see it. I guess I could have painted all these things on a canvas, but it sure is a lot more fun getting out there and singing them ! Mahalo plenty and thanks to all of you around our planet for the support that frees me from the usual white pants and kukui nut luau gig and allows me to keep dreaming beyond aboriginal art... Drop a line and say aloha!"

DREAMING BEYOND ABORIGINAL ART...

I met a little big man way down under
Painting the dreams from days of his youth
Pictures depicting his walk about life
A dream time born from perceptions of truth

Walk about life with the people down under
Walk about life on the face of this earth
Color the space and describe an adventure
Painting a dream for all truth is worth

Experience truth and paint what you feel
Visions of truth living deep in your heart
The picture depicts what a man knows is real
Im dreaming beyond aboriginal art

Dreaming beyond aboriginal art
Dreaming beyond aboriginal art

Go tell the children for all that it’s worth
Don’t drag on the stick that scars up the earth
Don’t shuffle your feet and scuff up the sand
Walk light on the wind as a child of the land

Experience truth and paint what you feel
Visions of truth living deep in your heart
The picture depicts what a man knows is real
Im dreaming beyond aboriginal art

Dreaming beyond aboriginal art
Dreaming beyond aboriginal art...

BROWN SHOES

Brown shoes, brown shoes, Brown shoes, brown shoes
Brown shoes, brown shoes, In a black shoe world

Heres a tale about a scape goat who used to be the man
A lion in a khaki suit who did not give a damn
'Bout the politics and hypocrites that persecuted him
And cast him adrift on the sea

So proud he was of fouled anchors pinned on his lapels
Stood up for what was right but thats the way he finally fell
Hes rocking on blue water stuck upon an ocean swell
Cryin’ blue sky remember me (chorus)

He said black shoes were worn by sailors setting sail with pride
And the brown shoes would identify at once that he could fly
But on the land, sea or sky, you don’t ask no questions why
You carry out the plan of the day

He was so dedicated but nobody could say why
Somebody killed his character and stood behind the lie
Made him sign his page thirteen, then banned him from the sky
But they could not take his birthday away (chorus)

In the fall of eighty-seven that old lion came around
Hung an anchor on my neck, said he found a new home town
Where after sundown everything takes on a shade of brown
Now I know how much that anchor weighs (chorus)

LIL ANIMALZ

Lil animalz, runnin’ through my house
Smaller than a lion, bigger than a mouse
Lil animalz, runnin through my door
Whoopin’ and a hollerin’, trackin’ up the floor
Lil animalz footin’ trails of mud
Echoes in the hall way, laughter in the tub

Talking bout doggies in the window howling to be free
Then somebody bought him and chained him to a tree
Beat him with a paper, forgot to fill his bowl
Poor little animal... dog rest his little ol’ soul

Little animalz, sandman coming soon
So hear my tale about a little dish that ran off with a spoon
Little animalz rest your weary head
Dream of peace and love tonight, it’s time to go to bed

Doggy in the window howling to be free...

LONG FINGERS

He’s a boy with long fingers that dance upon the wire
And he plays his guitar over craters of fire
As he walks heel to toe on a tight-rope high above
Does he fear he may slip, will he fall into love

The song that he plays comes from deep in his soul
And the silence is questioned by strings made of gold
Is the heart of a man truly all he is worth ?
And is heaven a dream that you find here on earth ?

Long fingers, folk singers
Stroking box guitars in them old smoky bars
Folk singers lift your spirits high
As their long fingers dance upon the wire

As the boy with long fingers that dance upon the wire
Played his flat top guitar over craters of fire
Each note rang out loud as his flesh bit the steel
And the gathering crowd heard a sound they could feel (chorus)

Long fingers dancing on the wire...

SAD MARY

There’s a girl trying hard to be a part
Of the music in her soul but it’s raining in her heart
Worn out and abused by a twisted troubled man
He could not hear her crying; he did not understand

Sad Mary, play your soft guitar
And tell me how the dark blue side of life can hit you hard
When you give yourself to someone who denies you simple dreams
Sad Mary, sing your song to me

Were you always sad and lonely since you were a little girl
Did you dream of singing songs you wrote to the children of the world
Well, I got a listening ear and a sympathetic heart
Can I lend a helping hand, help you get a brand new start
(chorus)

I guess you could not see the man you chose was full of rage
He would rather see you sad than in the bright lights of a stage

Sad Mary, play your soft guitar
And when you toss away them blues be sure to throw them hard and far
Don’t you give yourself to someone who denies you simple dreams
Sad Mary, sing your song to me
Sad Mary, sing your song to me

DREAMS I KEEP CHASIN’

Rock me like a baby in a cradle of clouds
Cover my eyes from the burning sun
Big brother says I’m talking too loud
Dreams I keep chasin’ are still on the run
Dreams I keep chasin’ are still on the run

How can this country make a solid stand
If we lose control and sell the land
To the visions and dreams of a foreign man

Where would all hope for the future lie
If the stars we wish upon fall from the sky
Would their promise of dreams pass us by
(chorus)
What would the great blue ocean be
Without foamy white caps on a churning sea
Just a still blue water hole cold and deep

What would it be like to forever sleep
Would it be like dying, would a loved one weep
Would you pray to God for your soul to keep
(chorus)
Dreams I keep chasin’ are still on the run ...

SAY GOODBYE TO SAILOR MAN

Anchors aweigh to sweet liberty
Pack in a chest full of proud memories
Twenty years passed and this party must end
Say goodbye to sailor man

Wish him fair winds and following seas
Strike up the band and let the flags fly free
Pipe him ashore and salute an old friend
Say goodbye to sailor man

He joined the Navy to see the big world
In every port he left a heart broke girl
Setting sail with the tide and chasin’ the sun
Been over and under the seven seas
His mission in life to keep the sea lanes free
There was a job to do so he got it done
So say goodbye to sailor man
Say goodbye to sailor man

Will there be regrets, will he feel the pain
Of losing it all, starting over again
Will he cling to the rock when it’s time to run
He played the game and he found the part
Where the glory road ends and the living’ starts
Now this is a day he thought would never come
So say goodbye to sailor man
Say goodbye to sailor man

Stand tall in ranks as we bid him farewell
Blow that shiny whistle and bang that old bell
Hand the man a flag and take his picture too
Place his medals and ribbons in a shadow box
Mount them on velvet right next to a clock
Save a little space for the red white and blue
Then say goodbye to sailor man
Say goodbye to sailor man
Say goodbye to sailor man

WILD PIG HUNTER

Up in the hills where a pig hunter goes
The wild bush covers up the lava flow
In a deep dark valley it's a rough terrain
Where the forest comes alive in the jungle rain

Pack up your horses and get your best dogs
This ain't no hunt for a regular hog
There's a black mountain spirit in the big island hills
And he blends into a shadow when he's standin' still

Get out a gun, bring a bow or a knife
It's a fifty-fifty chance you'll be riskin' your life
That rushin' black boar is sure to put up a fight
And you'll be huntin' for a shadow_ on a pitch black night

Razor sharp tusks, red eyes agleam
A black locomotive with a full head of steam
Thundering hooves beatin' down the over turned trail__
Raise up the hair on your neck And make your skin turn pale

The legend goes a great boar came over
And dug in his snout like a big bulldozer
He tossed up his head in a shoveling motion
And pushed up the islands from the bottom of the ocean

He fell for a hot lava queen
But she put him off, she was down right mean
So he slung a lot 'a mud on his heart's desire
Glowin' embers of love replaced her raging fire

You know the wild pig hunter will always come back
To challenge that spirit and run with the pack
They live for the hunt whatever the cost
And many a pig huntin' dog’s been lost
Survivin' the game is a dangerous scene
When your trackin' down the prince of the lava queen
And when a challenge is made, the stakes are high__
Its the law of the jungle where the strong survive

Up in the hills where a pig hunter goes
The wild bush covers up the lava flow
In the valley of the shadow it's a rough terrain
Where the black mountain spirit of the jungle... still reigns
Wild pig hunter, wild pig man...

DEM AFRICAN BLUES

Quiet in the bush
As the moonlight falls on this African plain
Listen to the sound as a nocturnal hunter brings down her prey
The stars fade away, now the moon is the sun
An illusion it seems
Now the shade is your friend and no longer a shadow
That lurks in your dreams

Black son crying, white sun too
Hot sun frying both of you
Crops are dying, little children too
Can you hear the wailing mother’s cry
Singing dem African Blues
Singing dem African Blues

Cracks in the ground
Where the rivers of life used to flow through her veins
Dry are the eyes that search for the tears of the African rain
The heartland is burning, the roots of existence are twisted and dry
Can they see a solution, will the lion survive if the buffalo die
(chorus)

Down at the water hole all of God’s creatures at truce without words
It’s a hot situation and the lion must drink with a buffalo herd
Down at the water hole put down that selfish pride that’s all it costs
Learn or you burn, in the hot pits of prejudice all can be lost
(chorus)

THREE BLIND MEN

Three blind men in a great big city
I think it’s a pity to see them as witty
Proclaiming their blindness with both hands over their eyes
I looked at the news at a man who could see
But appeared to be totally blind

Wide open eyes see a prominent banker
With a known reputation for selling his soul
To the beautiful people with pockets lined in gold
How blind can he be to the folk in the ghetto
Who desperately need his O.K. on a loan
To feed the children and save their run down homes

Many have climbed the cold chain of rejection
To be lost on a list in a dark black hole
Searching and hoping for someone's approval
When the odds are in favor of a filtered down NO
From one of the blind at he top of the line
He lives in the dark and it shows

Wide open eyes see a gifted young lawyer
With a talent for quoting the big legal books
And a full guarantee he can get you off the hook
Hey,the pride of the bar drives a fancy new car
From uptown down to the courthouse today
Where any man on the stand can win if he can pay

Twisting the truth to prosecute,turning the words to defend
For the man with a dollar he can tap dance and holler
Til the judge sets him free in the end
Now why can’t he see the reality, a killer is free once again

Three blind men tappin’ canes on our sidewalk
Three blind men settin’ criminals free
Three blind men keepin’ food from the children
I cover my eyes ‘cause I don’t want to see
Three blind men standing next to me

My wide open eyes see a paid politician
Who shouts from the hill to the rest of the world
He says lay down your arms and let the flags of peace unfurl
So he granted a wish to some folks in the lobby
Who bought the votes to make a fantasy real
Do you think he remembers how doing the right thing feels

He’s lying awake with the world on his shoulder
The riddle for peace is playing taps on his brain
Lost in a dream where he pushes the button
But he hasn’t a clue to stop the burning rain
Where is the time to find hope for the future
His own life is filled with such pain
(chorus)

I’ve prayed more than once and I’ll say it again
May God grant sight to all the blind men
And open their hearts up so they may see
The Light of the World that shines for me
The Light of the World that shines for me

BEYOND THE RUNWAY REEF

It’s an early morning preflight
For a bird out on the ramp
Smell the new coffee brew see the ready one crew
Rally ‘round the smoking lamp
When the phone tree rang this morning
From the top down through it’s roots
They all slipped outta bed into zip-um-up suits
Stood up tall in their boots

Not until they reached the hangar
Did they finally find their heads
But their faces wore expressions
That were better left in bed

Their waking eyes like saucers
Still locked in disbelief
In an hours time they’ll be off and flying
Beyond the runway reef

Lookin’ for a deep sea monster
Listenin’ to the whispering sea
It can turn from a job to a full blown circus
Keepin’ the sea lanes free

No pint-size baby boomers
No red Octobers here
They’ll be huntin’ for the neon rainbow
Named after every month of the year

So when the Januaryfebruarymarchapril
-mayjunejuly
-augustseptemberoctobernovember
-december cruises by
She’s bigger than a sailor can imagine
She’s a sight beyond belief
Gonna ping her down in the water world
Beyond the runway reef

It’s a ping-pong game in the water world..
beyond the runway reef

PEACEFUL ARIZONA

There's a land mark on the water
Perched above a ship below
It's a long white peaceful hall
With the names up on the wall
Of brave men who stood here long ago

The sun was shining Sunday morning
On a harbor decked in gray
Who could have known what lay ahead
Love was lost and tears were shed
And a memory was born that day

Peaceful Arizona lies beneath the harbor calm
Under water colored rainbows, by a bank of swaying palms

When the full moon trembles on the water
And the stars shine from down below
I see monuments of times when our heroes in their prime
Heard the call and chose to go

Peaceful Arizona lies beneath the harbor calm
Under water colored rainbows, by a bank of swaying palms
Just a deep and still reminder of a past that's come and gone
And the prideful men who gave their lives for peace
Back in 1941
Peaceful Arizona, where did all the brave men go
Peaceful Arizona, in the silence down below