Lord of the Dance

When the world was begun

And I danced in the moon

And the stars and the sun

And I came down from heaven

And I danced on the earth -

At Bethlehem I had my birth.

I danced for the scribe

And the Pharisee,

But they would not dance

And they couldn't follow me;

I danced for the fishermen

For James and John -

They came with me

And the dance went on.

I danced on the Sabbath

And I cured the lame;

The holy people said it was a shame;

They whipped and they stripped

And they hung me high,

And they left me there

On a cross to die.

I danced on a Friday

When the sky turned black-

It's hard to dance

With the devil on your back;

They buried my body

And they thought I'd gone -

But I am the dance

And I still go on.

They cut me down

And I leapt up high -

I am the life

That'll never, never die;

I'll live in you

If you'll live in me -

I am the Lord

Of the Dance, said he.

By

Sydney Carter