Muir and the Master Builder (Brian McNeill) I asked the Master Builder Why did he make John Muir From the seed of a man, so hard and unforgiving. A father who tried to use the Gospel to ensure That his son's life would never be worth living And the Lord's voice answered on the High Sierra wind From the mountains where the clear waters lie, saying: "Hold the bravest heart, above the gravest of sins And I'll show you how to make a hero rise" CHO: Leave Calvin and the Bible To the parish o' Dunbar Give a blind man back his eyes to find The brightest o' the stars Then lead him to the altar of a better God by far In the vale of the redwood cathedral I asked the Master Builder, how did he find a way To put the man in the mountains And the mountains in the man? How long did he search to find the uncommon clay That he needed for his Masterbuilder's plan? And the Lord's voice came down from the High Sierra skies Saying: "Take a heart, - of hard Scottish stone Plant the seed of a wild place, deep down inside And I'll show you how to call a hero home" Chorus: And as I stand by the thunder of the roaring mountain falls And hear California call you saviour I cannot help but wonder, had a different fortune called Would you have done the same for Scotland the Brave - Your home and your father's Chorus: God lives above the redwoods, so men say Looking down, straight and true at the best of all his treasures And if a man should stand among them to pray It's against them the Lord would take his measure. And who grew straighter than long Johnny Muir? A redwood of flesh, blood and bone Filled by the Master Builder with a passion so pure For the mountains no single man can own. Chorus: WH
Thanks to Mudcat for the Digital Tradition!