Memories from the 70′ with the original recordings of the songs written back in Philadelphia. At that time Dada Shambhushivananda was a student at Wharton. The picture is from a recent visit of Dada in 2014.
“When I think Upon Your Name Lord” was published as an “official” RAWA song. I was the lead singer and back-up singers and instrumentalists were all members of the local Philadelphia Ananda Marga Yoga Society.
Lyrics:
The Lord and the Lady of the Universe
By Carter Boynton copyright 1974
When I was a child
I learned that God was a man
And I took it for granted.
We sang many songs
Of praise in His name
Seeking his favor.
He was our all-forgiving Father,
He led us on the Way.
He was our all-forgiving Father,
He led us on the Way.
Ah, ah yes.
Well, I grew up
And I studied and I found
That many people in the world
See God as a woman.
They sing many songs
Of praise in Her name
And She lifts up their hearts from sorrow.
She’s their all-embracing Mother
She loves their woes away.
She’s their all-embracing Mother
She loves their woes away.
Ah, ah yes.
Well, I got confused,
I didn’t know what to think.
I wondered, “Is God a man or a woman?”
And then I realized:
Is there day without a night?
Is there peace without a fight?
Is there wrong without a right?
Can God be man without being woman?
Oh, oh no.
The Lord and the Lady
Of the Universe are waiting.
Go to them now,
Why are you hesitating?
They’re right inside your heart
And they want to make you stronger.
How can you live
Without them any longer?
Oh, oh no you can’t.
Well, I know I can’t.
She’s your all-embracing Mother,
She’ll love your woes away.
He’s your all-forgiving Father,
He’ll guide you on the Way.
Ah, ah yes.
The Lord and the Lady
Of the Universe are waiting.
Go to them now,
Why are you hesitating?
They’re right inside your heart
And they want to make you stronger.
How can you live
Without them any longer?
Oh, oh no you can’t.
Well, I know I can’t.
She’s your all-embracing Mother,
She’ll love your woes away.
He’s your all-forgiving Father,
He’ll guide you on the Way.
Ah, ah yes.
The Animal’s Thank You Song
By Carter Boynton copyright 1974
Well, the animals were all gathered around the water hole one day.
The bears and the chipmunks and the porcupines
And the squirrels and the coyotes and the opossums were all there
And they were so happy they decided to sing a little song
And it goes like this:
Thank you for the rain that falls
So we’ve got something to drink.
Thank you for the sun that shines
‘Cause it dries up the rain that fell
From off of our heads.
Thank you for the grass and trees
And the wonderful things we eat.
Thank you for the friends we have
And for the friends we’ll meet.
Well, the animals in the forest were so happy singing this song
They decided to tell the animals in the jungle about it.
So they went down and told the rhinoceroses, and the giraffes and the elephants
And the zebras and the hippopotamuses and a few snakes and monkeys
That were hanging around in the trees
And it wasn’t too long before they were all singing:
Thank you for the rain that falls
So we’ve got something to drink.
Thank you for the sun that shines
‘Cause it dries up the rain that fell
From off of our heads.
Thank you for the grass and trees
And the wonderful things we eat.
Thank you for the friends we have
And for the friends we’ll meet.
Well the animals in the forest and the jungle were so happy singing this song
They decided to tell the fish in the sea about it.
So they told the swordfish and the sail fish and the squids and the sea urchins
And the barracudas and the sharks and the porpoises and the whales
And it wasn’t too long before they were all singing:
Thank you for the rain that falls
So we’ve got something to drink.
Thank you for the sun that shines
‘Cause it dries up the rain that fell
From off of our heads.
Thank you for the grass and trees
And the wonderful things we eat.
Thank you for the friends we have
And for the friends we’ll meet.
Well they had all the animals all over the world singing this song
So they decided to tell the people about it.
So they went to Germany and France and England and Spain
And Portugal and Russia and China and the good ‘ole US of A
And even outer Botswana
And it wasn’t too long before they were all singing:
Thank you for the rain that falls
So we’ve got something to drink.
Thank you for the sun that shines
‘Cause it dries up the rain that fell
From off of our heads.
Thank you for the grass and trees
And the wonderful things we eat.
Thank you for the friends we have
And for the friends we’ll meet.
Well they had the whole Earth singing this song
So they decided to tell the Solar System about it.
So they told Mercury, Venus, Jupiter, Saturn
Uranus, Nepture, Pluto, Mars, the Asteroid Belt,
And a few comets that were zipping around
And it wasn’t too long before they were all singing:
Thank you for the rain that falls
So we’ve got something to drink.
Thank you for the sun that shines
‘Cause it dries up the rain that fell
From off of our heads.
Thank you for the grass and trees
And the wonderful things we eat.
Thank you for the friends we have
And for the friends we’ll meet.
Well they had the whole Solar System singing this song
So they decided to tell the Universe about it.
So they told Milky Way and the galaxies and the planetary nebulae
And the globular clusters and the quasars and the pulsars
And the black holes and the white dwarves and the neutron stars
And the disappearing unidentified radio x-ray sources
And it wasn’t too long before they were all singing:
Thank you for the rain that falls
So we’ve got something to drink.
Thank you for the sun that shines
‘Cause it dries up the rain that fell
From off of our heads.
Thank you for the grass and trees
And the wonderful things we eat.
Thank you for the friends we have
And for the friends we’ll meet.
Yes, thank you for the friends we have
And for the friends we’ll meet.
When I Think Upon Your Name Lord
By Carter Boynton, copyright 1972
When I think upon your name, Lord,
The name that means everything,
Tears rising, rise up in my eyes,
And I can only think on Thee.
And as I think upon your name, Lord,
The name that means everything,
There’s a bursting of love inside my heart,
And I can only think on Thee.
Thee the One who is my own true self,
Thee the One who is me,
Thee the One who is all of us together,
Thee the One who is the One.
Lord, let the tears rising, rise up in my eyes,
Let the love that’s bursting, burst inside my heart.
Oh Lord I’m going to build a home for You
Deep inside my heart.
I’m going to make a proper house
For the Lord inside my heart.
So I’ll never be alone away from home.
So I’ll never be alone away, alone away,
Alone away, alone away from my true home.
When I think upon your name, Lord,
The name that means everything,
Tears rising, rise up in my eyes,
And I can only think on Thee.
And I can only think on Thee.
And I can only think on Thee.