Two Hudson River lyrics written by Dar Williams Read by Hank Beukema

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Any one that knows me or has read me over the years know that my life and soul are intertwined with the lovely body of water called the Hudson River. The wonderful Dar Williams has been dubbed by me as The Queen of The Hudson Valley. I have been playing her song The Hudson for years, but her first release in four years ends with a beautiful song called Storm King, a mountain and area that looms large in all of our lives.
The pictures for The Hudson portion are courtesy of the great Thomas McGuire. The pictures for Storm King are unidentified, but one or two may be Thomas's. I hope you enjoy The Hudson and Storm King as spoken word.

THE HUDSON
"If we're lucky we feel our lives know when the next scene arrives
So often we start in the middle and work our way out
We go to some gray sky diner for eggs and toast
New York Times or the New York Post
Then we take a ride through the valley of the shadow of death

But even for us New Yorkers
There's a time in every day
The river takes our breath away

And the Hudson, it holds the life
We thought we did it on our own

The river roads collect the tolls for the passage of our souls
Through silence, over woods, through flowers and snow
And past the George Washington Bridge
Down from the trails of Breakneck Ridge
The river's ancient path is sacred and slow

And as it swings through Harlem
It's every shade of blue
Into the city of the new brand new

And the Hudson yeah, it holds the life
We thought we did it on our own

I thought I had no sense of place or past
Time was too slow, but then too fast
The river takes us home at last

Where and when does the memory take hold
Mountain range in the Autumn cold
And I thought West Point was Camelot in the spring
If you're lucky you'll find something that reflects you
Helps you feel your life protects you
Cradles you and connects you to everything

This whole life I remember
As they begged them to itself
Never turn me into someone else

And the Hudson yeah, it holds the life
We thought we did it on our own

And the Hudson yeah, holds the life
We thought we did it on our own"
- Dar Williams

STORM KING
The clouds will form a crown,
Circling the rocky mountaintop,
Telling us the rain is coming soon,
As we sail the river up and down

The storm king has borne the seasons all,
Worn them upon his brow,
He guides the watchful boats below,
I am the storm king now.

He is bemused, sometimes delighted,
Sees the trains, the hikers on the hill
In our progress and our industry
May we grow better still.

The storm king has seen us from above,
Rising up on the starboard bow
He knows the turning of the years
I am the storm king now.

The storm king has borne the seasons all,
Worn them upon his brow,
He guides the watchful boats below,
I am the storm king now.
I am the storm king now.
-Dar Williams from the new album In the Time of Gods Copyright 2012 Burning Fields Music

All words by Dar Williams.
Reading by Hank Beukema
Many photos by Thomas McGuire
Music composed by Rick Wakeman, Performed by Michel Bayan