Moving Right Along

Lyrics: Robert Hunter
Music: David Nelson

Played by the David Nelson Band, with lyrics by Robert Hunter. Thanks to Amana for alerting me to this, and to Jordan Hegedus for help with the lyrics. Then released as a single in tribute to Robert Hunter. See also below for some more background.

I was born on Canaan's shore
Moving right along
Loaded my gun and I went to war
Moving right along
I shot left and I shot right
Now listen to my song
I have lost the appetite
Moving right along

Moving right along now
Moving right along
Right or wrong
I'm moving right along

I died in a picket line
The union must be strong
I died in a coal mine
Moving right along
Laid my life down for a cause
Now listen to my song
Fighting for and against the laws
Moving right along

Moving right along now
Moving right along
Right or wrong
I'm moving right along

I have died for liberty
Fought heavy, hard and long
I have died in poverty
Moving right along
I'm about to blow this joint
So listen to my song
I have died to prove a point
Moving right along

I have died by God's command
My faith was just as strong
Died protecting contraband
Moving right along
Died for reasons high and low
Now listen to my song
When it's time to die, I go
Moving right along

Mine eyes have seen the glory
And my feet have hit the road
My ears have heard the story
And my back has borne the load
My hand has waved the sabre
My neck has stretched the rope
You profit from my labour
While I feed my kids on hope

I have died in vain at times
Sing 'oh' the whole night long
For theft of bread and other crimes
Moving right along
When the wind blows from the hills
Listen to my song
Borne upon the evening chill
Moving right along

How did you come to write music for "Movin' Right Along?"

That was part of one of the batch of lyrics he sent me. He'd send me a folder by email and I'd go through it. Over the years, he sent me a few folders, each containing dozens of song lyrics. There are tons of them. That's where "Movin' Right Along" came from. At one point, I was putting melodies and music to most of them. I'd take two or three and just go for it. Then a week later, I'd do three more.

I'm still amazed by how timely his lyrics continue to be. That's what led me to record "Movin' Right Along." It's about war and the weird things about a country declaring war: "I was born on Caanan's Shore/ Movin' right along/ Loaded my gun and went to war/ Movin' right along/ I shot left and I shot right/ Now listen to my song/ I have lost the appetite/ Movin' right along."

We recorded it at Allegiant Studios in San Anselmo. It was recorded live, except for one overdub which was the organ. Then, it was mixed by a Grammy Award-winning guy, Ross Hogarth. We were just really excited about how it came out.