Odin (Spirit Of The Water)

 

Written by John Stewart

 

‘Odin (Spirit Of The Water)’ is on “Dream Babies Go Hollywood”, RSO, 1980, and on “John Stewart: Best Of.....Turning Music Into Gold”, Polydor; 1995,

CD-reissue of the albums “Bombs Away Dream Babies” and “Dream Babies Go Hollywood”, plus two previously unreleased versions of ‘Hard Time Town’ and ‘Children of The Morning’. 

A very good song.  Great arrangement.  Should have been a medium-sized hit.  A steady repetition of the same chord progression can be boring or mesmerising. 

Here, easy to see which one of the two applies.  Just excellent.

 

As to Odin:

http://www.britannica.com/eb/topic-425136/Odin

 

http://www.burlingtonnews.net/odin.html

 


(Am)
Oh, there's a story,
(Em7) (F) (Em)told on the (Am)coastline, (Em7) (F) (Em)
About a
(Am)star-eyed (Em7)girl (F) and her (Em)man of the (Am)sea. (Em7) (F) (Em)
He was a
(Am)whaler, (Em7) (F) ass(Em)assin of the (Am)sea wind, (Em7) (F) (Em)
She
(Am)told him,(Em7) (F) "Oh, let the (Em)whale go (Am)free." (Em7) (F) (Em)
(Am) (Em7) (F) (Em)

And for the
(Am)glory,(Em7) (F)  they (Em)sailed with the (Am)sunrise, (Em7) (F) (Em)
He was the
(Am)devil on the (Em7)wind (F) out of (Em)Monter(Am)ey. (Em7) (F) (Em)
And she
(Am)pleaded, (Em7) (F) (Em)"Keeper of my (Am)heartline," (Em7) (F) (Em)
She
(Am)pleaded, (Em7) (F)  "Oh, let the (Em)whale go (Am)free." (Em7) (F) (Em)
(Am) (Em7) (F) (Em)

She's
(Am)waiting, (Em7) (F) (Em) she's (Am)praying, (Em7) (F) (Em)
And she's
(Am)waiting, (Em7) (F) (Em) and she's (Am)praying, (Em7) (F) (Em)
(Am)Odin,(Em7) (F) (Em)spirit of the (Am)water, (Em7) (F) (Em)
(Am)Odin, (Em7) (F) (Em)god of the (Am)sea, (Em7) (F) (Em)
(Am)Odin,(Em7) (F) (Em)spirit of the (Am)water, (Em7) (F) (Em)
(Am)Odin,(Em7) (F) oh, let the (Em)whale go (Am)free.
(Em7) (F) (Em) (Am) (Em7) (F) (Em) (Am) (Em7) (F) (Em) (Am) (Em7) (F) (Em)

And then
(Am)(let chord ring) one dark day in February,

Say on the (Am)(let chord ring) twenty-eighth, maybe the ninth,
You know, the
(Am)(let chord ring) ship sailed in with nary a man
On the
(Am)(let chord ring) deck there to hold the line,
And then,
(Am)lashed to the (Em7)mast like a (F)ghost from the (Em)past,
Was the
(Am)man who had (Em7)christened the (F)crime. (Em)
He said, "The
(Am)battle is (Em7)done and the (F)whale has (Em)won,
It's the
(Am)last time I'm (Em7)taking the (F)line." (Em)

And she's
(Am)waiting, (Em7) (F) (Em) and she's (Am)praying, (Em7) (F) (Em)
And she's
(Am)waiting, (Em7) (F) (Em) and she's (Am)praying, (Em7) (F) (Em)
(Am)Odin,(Em7) (F) (Em)spirit of the (Am)water, (Em7) (F) (Em)
(Am)Odin, (Em7) (F) (Em)god of the (Am)sea, (Em7) (F) (Em)
(Am)Odin,(Em7) (F) (Em)spirit of the (Am)water, (Em7) (F) (Em)
(Am)Odin,(Em7) (F) oh, let the (Em)whale go (Am)free. (Em7) (F) (Em)

(Am)Odin,(Em7) (F) (Em)spirit of the (Am)water, (Em7) (F) (Em)
(Am)Odin, (Em7) (F) he was the (Em)god of the (Am)sea, (Em7) (F) (Em)
(Am)Odin,(Em7) (F) (Em)spirit of the (Am)water, (Em7) (F) (Em)
(Am)Odin,(Em7) (F) oh, let the (Em)whale go (Am)free.
(Em7) (F) (Em) (Am) (Em7) (F) (Em) (Am) (Em7) (F) (Em) (Am)

(and fade with bg singers repeating "Let the whale go free")

© John Stewart, All Rights Reserved

 

Charlie Woodward, janhauenstein@gmx.de & Art Faller

 

April 2008