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Taking You Out to See the Stars

by Gray Rinehart

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1.
Somewhere in another space and time, you and I are dancing Or walking on the beach, your hand in mine, laughing and romancing But those days are gone ... they will not come again ... And I'm left with memories and visions of what might have been In moments that are only in my mind You and I are dancing In moments that are only in my mind You and I are dancing
2.
Come outside with me, little one, hold my hand, let's take a walk And look at wonders far beyond tiny this world of ours Don't be afraid as we venture out, though the twilight's growing dark 'Cause if we didn't have the darkness we wouldn't be able to see the stars We can follow the phases of the changing Moon: crescent, gibbous, full See the wanderers like Jupiter, bright Venus, and red Mars But on certain special nights let's look for certain, special lights And ponder time and distance and our connections to the stars Chorus (I'm) Taking you out to see the stars Taking you out to see the stars Taking you out to see the universe's majesty Taking you out to see the stars When you're four years old, let's try to go on a trip far to the south Where we'll find the glowing firmament forms a vastly different sky And see Alpha Centauri, the closest neighbor to our sun Whose light began its journey here when you first opened your eyes And when you're twice as old, we'll mark the time by the "dog star" Sirius And we can celebrate your "sweet sixteen" with old Altair from afar And I hope you'll come to marvel at this wondrous universe Because so much of what we are was made in the hearts of former stars Chorus So come outside with me, little one, let's survey the sky above As the canopy of creation moves around our spinning home Do you hear the stars and galaxies singing gently in the flowing breeze Beckoning to humanity, and calling us to roam? I wish I could unveil to you all the mysteries of the heavens Filled with more stars than we can name or count or even see And when I'm gone I hope you'll take the time to look up and imagine That my love and dreams and hopes for you will shine as long as these Chorus & Tag ___ 100 Brightest Stars & Approximate Distances from Earth Alpha Centauri (Rigil Kentaurus) / 1.35 parsecs / 4.4 light-years Sirius / 2.64 parsecs / 8.6 light-years Procyon / 3.5 parsecs / 11.4 light-years Altair / 5.14 parsecs / 16.8 light-years Fomalhaut / 7.69 parsecs / 25 light-years Vega / 7.76 parsecs / 25.3 light-years Pollux / 10.34 parsecs / 33.7 light-years Denebola 11.09 parsecs / 36.2 light-years Arcturus / 11.25 parsecs / 37 light-years Capella / 12.94 parsecs / 42.2 light-years Castor / 15.81 parsecs / > 50 light-years Aldebaran / 19.96 parsecs Regulus / 23.76 parsecs Canopus / 95.88 parsecs Betelgeuse / 131.06 parsecs Antares / 185.19 parsecs Rigel / 236.97 parsecs Deneb / 990.1 parsecs
3.
Questions 03:52
When I am old and feeble, will you come and hold my hand? Will you read to me a story of some wild and distant land? Will you sing to me a song of hope about a wise, courageous man? When I am old and feeble, will you come and hold my hand? Have I loved you well enough, have I been a loyal friend? We had some fine adventures, will we have more before the end? Will anyone care to read the bottled messages we send? Have I loved you well enough, have I been a loyal friend? Will I live long enough to see my kin step foot on Mars? Or to see the human race extend its reach out toward the stars? Or will we squander our potential on endless tyranny and wars? Will I live long enough to see my kin step foot on Mars? Bridge I've got fewer days ahead than I've left behind And more reasons than I can count to redeem the time But can I sort out my priorities and the promises I've made Before I feel that mortal sting and the cold grip of the grave? When my final sun has set, will I ever see another dawn? With my old mistakes behind me, will I have a new road to go on? Will I ever find another friend like you, far out beyond beyond? When my final sun has set, will I ever see another dawn? Another dawn? Another dawn . . . ? Have I loved you well enough, have I been a loyal friend? When I am old and feeble, will you come . . . and hold my hand?
4.
"All that is gold does not glitter" -- so said the poet of old -- And we'll find richer treasures in simpler pleasures that cannot be bartered or sold. "Not all those who wander are lost" -- though they might well be seeking their way Whether coming or going, whether doubting or knowing, it's a pity that they cannot stay. "The old that is strong does not wither," and the strong that is old does not break But it bends when it must, despite hurricane gusts, and the cruel, grasping talons of fate. "Deep roots are not reached by the frost." They're an anchor against any storm, With a strong, stable grasp on both future and past, the times that we laugh or we mourn. "From the ashes, a fire shall be woken," from slumbering embers, and chill -- Its flame will not blind, but its heat will refine -- and purify, cleanse, and reveal. "A light from the shadows shall spring;" sparked by dreaming and conjured by love -- It will shine like the dawn both before and beyond as it rises to glory above. "Renewed shall be blade that was broken," as will heart and mind, country, and kin Be made healthy and whole, in both body and soul, for a new, better quest to begin. "The crownless again shall be king." And the subjects get crowns of their own -- Every woman and man, standing strong, hand-in-hand, made for fellowship, not going alone. Every woman and man, standing strong, hand-in-hand, made for fellowship, not going alone.
5.
On the Prowl 03:07
Up in the Blue Ridge foothills where the mountains meet the lake And the sunset turns the sky a royal hue A deadly Valley guards the gates o' the great Palmetto State Where a hungry Tiger waits to see who's coming for their due (And) Chorus They'd better be on high alert, and ready for a fight When they hear our Tigers growl 'Cause there'll be trouble in the jungle when the paw's about to strike The Tigers are on the prowl They say that Alabama is a real sweet home Where the crimson tide rolls gently on the shore And Carolina claims the bluest sky you've ever known But there's something special in those hills, where you hear the Tigers roar Chorus Bridge The chickens* may come home to roost, and dogs** go to the pound Eagles may fly pretty high, but other critters*** go to ground Some Seminoles may ride with pride, some Irish like to fight But why is the devil blue? To me, that just ain't right You don't make demons deacons, shouldn't be so cavalier Might come a hurricane a-blowing, but let me make this clear You're safe in Clemson orange when the Tigers come to play Brush off those yellow jackets ... what's a "Hokie," anyway? The lonely wolf finds its strength in the numbers in the pack While the solitary tiger hunts alone 'Cause we're stealthy and we're cunning and they'll know that we've attacked When they feel that Clemson Tiger gnawing on their bones Chorus & Tag ___ *Gamecocks, obviously **Georgia Bulldogs, that is ***Cardinals, Panthers
6.
Steel-grey clouds lie heavy on the horizon Wind-whipped sand stings our skin and our eyes The air is fresh but a mighty storm is brewing Come stand on the dunes and watch the waters rise Watch the waters rise Chorus Beware the gale and the hurricane that's coming To batter and buffet and bludgeon and bruise the shore But take heart if you see an apparition walking If you heed his warning you'll make it safely through the storm Safely through the storm Two long years abroad, just come safe home again One thought only uppermost in his mind To hold his love in his arms, plight his troth and build a life But horse and rider fell, drowned in the mire Drowned in the mire Chorus She woke, perplexed, to the roar and raging storm-tide And the news broke upon her like the fiercest lightning strike Her one and only, lost forever somewhere along the creek Her best beloved, her most adored, was never coming back Never coming back Chorus His ghost arose with the squall and he made his way along And came to her home in the darkest hour of night His features were dim in the shrouded moon, but his voice was strong And she fled the island and the storm in time to save her life To save her life Chorus Repeat 1st Verse
7.
Lying still and lonely in an ancient yard of graves Under mighty oaks festooned with Spanish moss By a coastal church, consecrated to all the noble saints Rests Alice, yearning for the love she lost Chorus And Alice Flagg still walks among the headstones In a dress she thought she'd wear her wedding day But no ring is set upon her tender finger And no one hears her weeping by her grave She loved the ring he gave her to secure the vow they made And dreamed of all the happiness they'd planned But her family could not bear to lose their princess to a knave And pledged her to another, better man Chorus Bridge She wore the ring on a winding ribbon to keep it secret But her brother found it, and tore it from her neck At the Hermitage, delirious, she gave up her precious spirit And as she faded away she begged for her ring back So if you go to All Saints graveyard, to the slab that bears her name And walk around it in the dark of the new Moon You may feel her touch upon you, and though you look for her in vain Never doubt for once that the truest love endures Chorus Yes, Alice Flagg still walks among the headstones And no one hears her weeping ...
8.
When Earth's last picture is painted and the tubes are twisted and dried, When the oldest colours have faded, and the youngest critic has died, We shall rest, and, faith, we shall need it -- lie down for an aeon or two, Till the Master of All Good Workmen shall put us to work anew. And those that were good shall be happy; they shall sit in a golden chair; They shall splash at a ten-league canvas with brushes of comets' hair. They shall find real saints to draw from -- Magdalene, Peter, and Paul; They shall work for an age at a sitting and never be tired at all! And only The Master shall praise us, and only The Master shall blame; And no one shall work for money, and no one shall work for fame, But each for the joy of the working, and each, in his separate star, Shall draw the Thing as he sees It for the God of Things as They are! Yes, we'll draw the Thing as we see It for the God of Things as They are!
9.
Somewhere in another space and time, you and I are dancing Or walking on the beach, your hand in mine, laughing and romancing But those days are gone ... they will not come again ... And I'm left with memories and visions of what might have been In moments that are only in my mind You and I are dancing Somewhere underneath the starry skies, you and I are walking And the moonlight is reflected in your eyes, as we're holding hands and talking But the wind blows cold and I am all alone And I cannot feel your kiss to mend my shattered heart of stone So I dream of love, hoping for the sun to rise Where you and I are walking Bridge I don't know what happiness is without you I don't know why my happiness had to end But I can't survive in misery So I have to make the best of me And find peace and joy and hope and love again Somewhere in another space and time, you and I are dancing Or walking on the beach, your hand in mine, laughing and romancing But those days are gone ... they will not come again ... And I'm left with memories and visions of what might have been In moments that are only in my mind You and I are dancing In moments that are only in my mind You and I are dancing You and I are dancing You and I ... are dancing (Optional Verse 3) Somewhere far beyond this mortal life, are you out there waiting? Transformed and glorified and shining bright, beyond anticipating But in your new disguise, do you still care for me? Or have you grown too far beyond us in the mystery? Is there any hope that I will meet you as my wife? Are you out there waiting?
10.
Remembrance 04:10
We listen to different tunes and we march to different drummers, We walk under separate moons on nights of separate summers, We look in different directions and we play by different rules, We gaze at separate reflections ... reflected by separate pools. Chorus Once we walked together, now we walk apart The road diverged in front of us, and the woods were deep and dark I called out your name, from my dim and lonely path Did you ever hear my voice? Did you ever look back? We travel by different roads, carrying different burdens; Straining under separate loads, we draw our separate curtains. We’re trapped in different madnesses as we move through different days -- And we live with separate sadnesses ... as we go our separate ways. Chorus Bridge Let me write you a letter with my blood upon the sand Something to remember me by when we’re no more hand-in-hand. Let me paint you a picture, to hang inside your heart Something to remember me by when we have grown apart. Let me write you a poem to engrave in your mind Something to remember me by when we’ve left each other far behind Left each other far behind Chorus & Tag
11.
Midnight 03:34
No matter what the clock says it is midnight in my soul And though I know the sun is shining somewhere, the thought just leaves me cold And in this freezing darkness, desperation's sinking in I know there's nothing I can ever do to bring you back again Chorus And it's time for me to face the Truth The lies I've told myself no longer have their power And the harms that I have done--the battles lost, I thought I'd won-- Deserve a reckoning, before my final hour My days are filled with anguish and my nights are filled with fear I run in different directions but I always end up here Where the hailstones of fire fall and I'm trapped under the sky Amid the wreckages of all the failures of everything I've tried Chorus Bridge So I'm building my own purgatory, I'm digging my own hell I'm struggling with hypocrisy, And the tolling of the bell It tolls for me, it tolls for me, it tolls for me Chorus & Tag
12.
God of all that is, and was, and will be, God of what is plain and what is mystery, God of worlds beyond the wonders we see, Hear this humble prayer, hear this humble prayer Help me find a purpose that is worthwhile And ample peace, to live devoid of guile, With power enough to go the extra mile Hear this humble prayer, hear this humble prayer What dreams should I abandon, and which pursue? What thoughts should I examine to verify they're true? What truths should I learn, and unlearn ones I thought I knew? Hear this humble prayer, hear this humble prayer God of all I will be, was, and am, Hear this prayer and help me understand
13.
How fair, how far, oh wand'ring star, to blaze across my night Your dazzling glow on me below, a beacon to my sight How fair, how far, oh wand'ring star That shines for my delight Come down to me if you can free yourself from orbit's trace Fear not the fall, the risk is small for heart that's boldly placed How fair, how far, oh wand'ring star That burns the paths of space Stay here a while, the endless miles will wait another day You need not roam -- make here a home in my arms, come what may How fair, how far, oh wand'ring star That lights the trav'ler's way We'll share the wine from richest vine which e'en the dregs are sweet And pour again, up to the brim, together drinking deep How fair, how far, oh wand'ring star Such spirit and so free Be of one mind, for now's our time to play life's game of chance And have and hold, which none foretold, our hopeful new romance How fair, how far, oh wand'ring star So graceful in love's dance How fair, how far, oh wand'ring star So near, and yet so far

about

Another compendium of truths, and lies, and make-believe, composed in bits and pieces over the last four or five years.

My late wife, Jill, suggested that "Taking You Out to See the Stars" should be the title song of this third album. As part of a tribute to her related to the song, the star centered on the cover is Muphrid (a/k/a eta Bootis), which is about 37 light-years from Earth. Jill and I were married 37 years ago.

credits

released June 23, 2022

Words and music by Gray Rinehart, except:
- "Tiger Rag" snippet at the end of "On the Prowl"
- "Earth's Last Picture," words by Rudyard Kipling
- "All That is Gold," built around words by J.R.R. Tolkien
- "Another Space and Time," keyboard arrangements by Brian Ceccarelli

Recorded and produced at MKM Studios, Scarborough, Maine, and Talus Music, Apex, North Carolina

Lead vocals by Gray Rinehart
Backing vocals by Gray Rinehart and Mark Minervino
All instrumentation by Mark Minervino, except:
- Brian Ceccarelli, piano and keyboards on "Another Space and Time"
- David Jacquet, mandolin on "Taking You Out to See the Stars" and "How Fair, How Far"
- Gray Rinehart, some rhythm guitar here and there

Cover by Christopher Rinehart

A Stormghost/Gray Rinehart (ASCAP) Production

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Gray Rinehart North Carolina

Gray Rinehart writes science fiction, fantasy, assorted nonfiction, and the odd song. Or odd songs.

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