Rolling Thunder (Shoshone Invocation)

Lyrics: Rolling Thunder
Music: [Hart]

A spoken introduction to Mickey Hart's first solo LP, with minimal instrumental accompaniment.

To the east, where the sun rise
To the north, where the cold comes from
To the south, where the light comes from
To the west, where the sun sets
To the father sun, to the mother earth

His Western name was John Pope and his Western job was working as a brakeman for the railroad. His Indian name was Rolling Thunder and his Indian job was medecine man.

Rolling Thunder entered the scene during that brief intermixing of counterculture and Native American culture that had taken place in the early days of the Haight-Ashbury, becoming ontertwined with members of the Grateful Dead extended family, many of whom called upon his services when they were sick. The ranch became his base whenever he was in the Bay Area; he did his curing there, replenishing his medicinal herbs, from the overgrown herb garden.

When Rolling Thunder was in residence, one of his sons would rise at dawn and wake the place with a barking cry.

Hooowwwooooohhh.

A fire would be built on the little hill near the Barn, and everyone would gather there before breakfast. We would sing songs, accompanied on the drum by one of Rolling Thunder's entourage - he usually traveled with five or six young Indians, sons and apprenctices - who drummed a steady, hypnotic rhythm. Rolling Thunder would then call on the four winds to carry our morning prayers up with the smoke, then he would hand everyone the tobacco, which wouldbe tossed into the fire.