"Dry Your Eyes"

Happy Easter to all who celebrate.

This morning, I listened to music by Neil Diamond.  I heard a song I’ve not heard before on his other albums.  The song is called “Dry Your Eyes” and he apparently wrote it years ago with a member of The Band.

I found myself feeling emotional.  My first impression was that the song was about the loss of someone.  Because of the drum beat, I thought of marching feet and of a soldier.  I listened to the words, though, and realized it wasn’t that.  I got the impression this was an older person who’d perhaps lost her husband?  But there was a line that spoke of how he taught us things we never wanted to know.  I thought of Jesus.

I had to know the meaning of the song so I looked it up on Google.  I found this article https://www.thecapistranodispatch.com/life-love-50-dry-eyes-nine-year-ordeal-coming-end/ and part of it read, in part: “In 1976, Neil Diamond co-wrote the song “Dry Your Eyes,” with Robbie Robertson of The Band. Robertson was the producer of Diamond’s 1976 Beautiful Noise album, which included “Dry Your Eyes.”

Regarding the tune, the website Songfacts.com states, “In his memoir, Testimony, Robertson explained that the song was inspired by ‘how many people felt after the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr.’ Diamond played this live only once—at The Band’s farewell concert on November 25, 1976 in San Francisco.”

The lyrics state: “To that distant falling angel that descended much too soon.” I assume Dr. King is the falling angel.”

It made sense then and I see how it is about grieving the loss of Dr. King.  I also think it could mean Jesus because he also went around teaching things people didn’t necessarily want to hear.  Perhaps he could be the “falling angel” too.  They were both men Jane Goodall mentioned as having indomitable spirits.  They were kind, loving and giving.  And they died too young. 

I also read that the author of the article attended a concert and was surprised when Neil Diamond not only sang the song (it was rarely performed), pluralized angel to angels.  There have been people since Martin Luther King that I would, without doubt, say were angels on earth.

The lyrics are here but it’s best to hear it.

Dry your eyes, take your song out, it's a newborn afternoon
And if you can't recall the singer, you can still recall the tune
Dry your eyes and play it slowly, like you're marching off to war
Sing it like you know he'd want it, like we sang it once before
And from the center of the circle to the midst of the waiting crowd
If it ever be forgotten, sing it long and sing it loud
And come dry your eyes
And he taught us more about giving than we ever cared to know
But we came to find the secret and we never let it go
And it was more than being holy, oh it was less than being free
And if you can't recall the reason, can you hear the people sing?
Right through the lightning and the
Thunder, to the dark side of the moon
To that distant falling angel that descended much too soon
And come dry your eyes
Come dry your eyes

Dry your eyes, take your song out, it's a newborn afternoon
And if you can't recall the singer, you can still recall the tune
Dry your eyes and play it slowly, like you're marching off to war
Sing it like you know he'd want it, like we sang it once before
And from the center of the circle to the midst of the waiting crowd
If it ever be forgotten, sing it long and sing it loud
And come dry your eyes
And he taught us more about giving than we ever cared to know
But we came to find the secret and we never let it go
And it was more than being holy, oh it was less than being free
And if you can't recall the reason, can you hear the people sing?
Right through the lightning and the
Thunder, to the dark side of the moon
To that distant falling angel that descended much too soon
And come dry your eyes
Come dry your eyes

 

 

 

https://youtu.be/VkOtBHUNiz8