Lyrics: Mickey Hart
Music: Mickey Hart
One of the new Mickey Hart Band songs performed on their summer 2000 tour
ChorusMickey Hart describes the origins of the song in his road journal
Voodoo zombies in the night
Dance around the candle light
Voodoo zombies in the night
Dance around the candle light
Voodoo zombies in the night
Dance around the candle light
I'm goin to find the zombies' lair
It's prowlin time in Congo Square
He walks on water he can not sink
He has a mind but can not think
He walks on fire but feels no heat
He has a mouth but cannot speak
He has two eyes but does not see
He tries to climb the haunted tree
He has two ears but cannot hear
When the sun goes down he shows no fear
[chorus]
With alligator root and black cat powder
Zombies call, the drums get louder
Pins and needles and lucky bones
Holy flowers and magic stones
Take a bath in black cat oil
Add a pinch of devil soil
Voodoo doctor flies at night
Stirs his brew by the pale moon light
[chorus]
Marie Laveau with glove in hand
Takes you to the promised land
The night wind howls I hear that sound
Mounted spirits gather round
The spirit flies through the (w)hole of the drum
Riders in the sky the dance has begun
Drums on fire the voices shout
Dance all night till the sun comes out
At magic corners near Buzzard Rock
The zombies rise and the drums don't stop
The sun comes up, the zombies rest
Another day another test
[chorus]
This song was inspired by Tom Vennum, senior ethnomusicologist at the Smithsonian. It is part fact, part fiction, and a song--not reality. Tom, for years, has been trying to get me to go to Haiti. He is an authority on voodoo, zombification and Haiti, in general. He is also an authority on Native American music and culture. He spends most of his time with the Ojibwa tribe in Wisconsin. We have recorded two cds for the World Series on Rykodisc.(there's lots more background in Mickey's journal)