promenade by rich mullins

Promenade written by rich mullins
In case anyone here wondered if richard ever wrote a song I didn't care for, here is an example of one. I do love there are folks who enjoy it.. I'm just not one of them. I'll ever believe he'd put it on our Zion setlist just to watch me cringe. Then, in 1995 when he reached into the past to pull this song up to place on “Brother's Keeper”, we had quite the conversation. As I told him then, “Out of all the awesome songs you wrote in the '70's, why choose this one to bring back?!!” His answer? “Maybe just because of the face I knew you'd make when you found out!” Saint Richard. Here is Promenade.
“This is a parable I wrote.”
When the dancers took to the promenade
My heart lept high!
And, I was unafraid of the feeling I'd stifled for so many years.
Singin' how do you... how do you feel?

Well, the band took their places and got all in tune.
And, the caller's voice rang out beneath the moon.
And, the boys took their girls and they started to reel.
Singin' how do you... how do you feel?

And, the people in the town, they said they'd call the police
If we didn't keep down all this disturbing the peace.
Officer Black, well, he answered their plea.
And, he ran up on the hill just to see.

Well, he hid in the bushes just a stone's throw away
And, we all watched the change started comin' on his face
He was bouncin' to the beat and he was hoppin' on his heals.
Singin' how do you... how do you feel?

Well, he danced for a while until he lost track of time
And, the reason he'd come up came back to his mind
So, he turned like a flash, and he ran down the hill.
Singin' how do you... how do you feel?

And, the townspeople asked if he had made some arrests?
Would they find peace and quiet so they could go back to bed?
He said, “If it's peace that you want, you're gonna find it up on the hill.
But, this silence that you keep... well, it's a thing that kills.”

So, the townspeople all got so uptight and mad
They fired him on the spot. Then, they through away his badge.
When they asked him to leave, he said, “Gladly, I will.”
“Tell us now, how do you feel?”

He said, “When the dancers took to the promenade,
my heart lept high and I was unafraid
of the feeling I'd stifled for so many years.
Singin' how do you... how do you feel?”

[thereseklopfenstein]

Comparing this recording to the one that RIch made on his "Brother's Keeper" album, you can certainly see how his voice improved over the years!

[leemc]

How funny! I always found it to be a jaunty tune with a good message. Now, I can appreciate his humor in mildly torturing you by including it on his album. Thanks, as always, for sharing your remembrances of Rich and his music.

[marksmusings]

I keep finding out how many of these songs are from the early days. :)

[gruntopolouski]

I remember hearing Rich sing this song at Deep Valley Christian Service Camp near Slippery Rock, PA... way, way, WAY, back in the day... like before he had a solo career. Early 80s. Very early 80s. He was still in the band “Zion”, which only released 1 album, “Behold the Man”... on vinyl! If anyone has this album, I’ll gladly buy it - or even pay for a copy of the music on tape. For that matter, their manager was Pam Zae, and I’ve tried to find her for years, too.
About this song, there are many differences between this version and the song as it was originally written... TBH, I liked the original lyrics better.
Example:
“Well he danced for awhile,
‘Til he lost track of time,
Then the reason he come up come back to his mind,
And he turned in a flash, and went running’ down that hill,
Singin’ “How do you - how do you feel?”

“Now the townspeople asked if he’d made some arrests...
Could they get some peace and quiet,
So they could go back to bed -
He said “If it’s peace that you want,
You can find it on that hill -
But the silence that you keep,
Well it’s a thing that will kill you.”

“Well the townspeople all got so uptight and mad,
They fired him on the spot,
And then they threw away his badge.
Then they ran him out of town,
And left him standing on that hill,
Sayin’ “Tell us now - how do you feel?”
And he said...
“When the dancers took to the promenade,
My heart kept high, and I was unafraid,
Of the feelin’s I’d strived for for so many years,
Singin’ “How do you, how do you feel?”
“How do you, how do you feel?”
“How do
How do you feel?”


More wordplay, more rhythmic alliteration, etc.

[bluebirdchristy]

I'm one who loves the song, the meaning of it at the time it came out was really important to me, and still :)