Lyrics: Robert Hunter
Music: Robert Hunter
A Hunter song introduced in his solo tour in spring 1998.
There's a dead man dancing, dancing in the dawn
There's a dead man dancing, tell him to move on
There's a dead man dancing, mama, run and get the broom
There's a dead man dancing, saying he can pay the rent
We ain't got the room
We ain't got the room
No we ain't got the room
Back in the days when dreams were new
There were [hearts and minds] to spare
In the kitchen where the river ran through
There were kids that walked on air
Long ago and far away there was nothing much to do
Sit here on the top of the world and watch
The light shine through
The light shine through
Oh watch the light shine through
Shine, let the light shine through
Dead man puffing on a cigarette
Dead man, dead as he can get
Dead man, dancing on something worse
Won't someone call a hearse
Oh please call a hearse
Won't somebody call a hearse
Down in the valley of the bitter white wine
Bitter white wine of the [moan]
Dead men stand to pick up bones, beat on brass spitoons
They don't have the breath to play the sax or slide trombone
Those dead men sure can move but they got no sense of tone
Oh you know they're deaf as stones
Walk that lonesome road alone
They got lifetimes to atone
Oh, deaf as stones
Dead man knows to tango, what else does he know?
Used to play with Django, that was long ago
There's a dead man dancing on the rooftops of the town
A dead man dancing, dead man won't you please come down?
Oh, won't you please come down?
Hey, dead man please come down
Oh, won't you please come down?
Sunset [slowed] like french perfume in a backyard compromise
All the cross bones singing said, strong cross wires and line
Singing tunes like "Stir It Up" to the tune of "Auld Lang Syne"
All the [quakers] best forgot the [record] brought to mind
Oh forever brought to mind
Oh forever brought to mind
As the cup is full in kind
Pass it once for the end of time
Raise it up to a friend of mine
Oh raise [for the laugh to line]
Raise it up or go down trying
Oh let the light shine through
Oh let the light shine through
Dead man dancing in an old man's shoe
Dead man dancing at a quarter to two
Dead man dancing with me and you
Dead man dancing on the avenue
Dead man dancing till your dreams come true
Oh the dead man [sitting down too]
Oh let the light shine through
Oh let the light shine through