When Lilacs Last

from Man vs. Bear by D. Bess

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lyrics

When lilacs last in the dooryard bloom’d
And the great star early droop’d
In the western sky, in the night
I thought of all us in one light
Ever-returning spring
Trinity sure to me you bring
Lilac blooming perennial
And thought of all us in one world

CHORUS:

I just see one body dancing

2nd Verse:

The armies of those I love engirth me and I engirth them
They will not let me off till I go with them, respond to them
And discorrupt them, and charge them full with the charge of the soul
I sing the body electric
I sing the body electric

3rd Verse:

Of physiology from top to toe I sing
Not physiology alone nor brain alone is worthy for the Muse
Every atom belonging to me as good belongs to you
My tongue, every atom of my blood, form’d from this soil, and this air
Born here of parents born here from parents the same, yes, and their parents the same

credits

from Man vs. Bear, released April 1, 2012
written and performed by D. Bess*
produced by D. Bess

*pretty much all of the lyrics on this song are lines from Walt Whitman's masterpiece "Leaves of Grass"

license

about

D. Bess Chicago, Illinois

D. Bess is a one-man-band who loops all his licks live: reggae/ska/blues-hop and roll. Using a cajon, percussion, guitar, bass and harmonizing his vocals, he builds and records layers of instrumentation to create the sound of a one-man-band.

He released his first album as D. Bess in April of 2012. The album, Man vs. Bear, features reggae legend and icon Toots Hibbert on the track "Oh Carolina". ... more