Simple Gifts/Lord of the Dance Benjamin Luxon & Bill Crofut 1986

"Lord of the Dance" is a hymn written by English songwriter Sydney Carter in 1963. The melody is from the American Shaker song "Simple Gifts" composed in 1848. The hymn is widely performed in English-speaking congregations and assemblies.

The song follows the idea of the traditional English carol "Tomorrow Shall Be My Dancing Day", which tells the gospel story in the first-person voice of Jesus of Nazareth with the device of portraying Jesus' life and mission as a dance.

The American composer Aaron Copland incorporated the original Shaker tune into the music for his 1944 ballet and subsequent 1945 orchestral work Appalachian Spring.

For more information see: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lord_of_the_Dance_(hymn)

Lyrics:

'Tis the gift to be simple, 'tis the gift to be free
'Tis the gift to come down where we ought to be
And when we find ourselves in the place just right
Twill be in the valley of love and delight

When true simplicity is gained
To bow and to bend we shan't be ashamed
To turn, turn will be our delight
'Twill by turning, turning we come 'round right

'Tis the gift to be simple, 'tis the gift to be free
'Tis the gift to come down where we ought to be
And when we find ourselves in the place just right
‘Twill be in the valley of love and delight

'Tis the gift to be simple, 'tis the gift to be free
'Tis the gift to come down where we ought to be
And when we find ourselves in the place just right
'Twill be in the valley of love and delight

Dance, dance, wherever you may be
"I am the lord of the dance," said he
"And I'll lead you all, wherever you may be
And I'll lead you all in the dance," said he

I danced in the morning when the world was begun
And I danced in the moon and the stars and the sun
I came from Heaven, and I danced on the Earth
At Bethlehem I had my birth

Dance, dance, wherever you may be
"I am the lord of the dance," said he
"And I'll lead you all, wherever you may be
And I'll lead you all in the dance," said he

I danced for the Scribes, the Pharisees. They would not dance; they would not follow me.
I danced for the fishermen James and John and they came with me and the dance went on.

Dance, dance, wherever you may be
"I am the lord of the dance," said he
"And I'll lead you all, wherever you may be
And I'll lead you all in the dance," said he

I danced on the Sabbath, and I cured the lame.
The holy people said it was a shame. They wiped; they stripped they hung me high they hung me there on a cross to die.

Oh! dance, dance, wherever you may be
"I am the lord of the dance," said he
"And I'll lead you all, wherever you may be
And I'll lead you all in the dance," said he

I danced on a Friday, and 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’m the dance and I still go on.

Dance, dance, wherever you may be
"I am the lord of the dance," said he
"And I'll lead you all, wherever you may be
And I'll lead you all in the dance," said he

They cut me down, I leapt up high
I am the light that will never die
And I will live in you if you live in me!
I am the Lord of the dance said he

Oh! dance, dance, wherever you may be
"I am the lord of the dance," said he
"And I'll lead you all, wherever you may be
And I'll lead you all in the dance," said he

Oh! dance, dance, wherever you may be
"I am the lord of the dance," said he
"And I'll lead you all, wherever you may be
And I'll lead you all in the dance," said he!!