Rainbow Songs
This page is one of a three-part series. The introduction to the rainbow gathering page contains narrative about my experience at gatherings I have attended around the world. The rainbow culture page contains a primer about the culture of rainbow gatherings.
This page contains lyrics and streaming audio of rainbow gathering songs. To jump straight to the songs, click here.
What is a rainbow song?
At rainbow gatherings, many kinds of songs can be heard around the fire, so clarification is needed about what constitutes a "rainbow song". I don't claim to be the authority on the subject, but my sense is that the vast majority of people who attend rainbow gatherings would agree with what follows.Repeat until drunk
Perhaps the main feature of rainbow songs is that their verses are repeated over and over again. Most rainbow songs are quite compact—sometimes as short as two verses. This gives everyone a chance to pick up the lyrics within the first two minutes of singing. The verses of a great song are repeated until everyone gets drunk on the energy of the group singing. Songs often build up until the voices reach a peak, after which the verses are repeated with a softer voice, often slower, until the song fades into yummy silence.
English
Another feature of rainbow songs, at least in the English-speaking world, is that their lyrics are either in the English language or a mixture of English and other languages—such as the Hopi language, Sanskrit, and so on. Some of these songs are playful and sound like children's tunes. Others are rhythmic and dynamic and raise the energy around the fire. Others yet, more meditative, belong to the general class of "heart songs".
Not Bhajans
What about the songs known as bhajans—songs in Sanskrit, Hindu and other languages of India? Many rainbow people love them. Bhajans are devotional songs, originally from India. They are part (sometimes a major part) of some people's spiritual practice. By repeating the same verses over and over again, they hope to "get closer to the ultimate or to merge into God". The Hare Krishna people are famous for this kind of practice, and many bhajans heard at rainbow come from the Hare Krishna repertoire. I believe that most rainbow people would agree that while there are many bhajans at rainbow, bhajans are not rainbow songs. This page is definitely not about bhajans. That's a whole other topic.
Not Christian Songs
At US gatherings, there are several Christian camps (e.g. Jesus Camp, Bread of Life), and many Christians like to share their religion through song. One evening, I hung out at Bread of Life (friendly people, great food) and listened to the singing, all done in English. The songs were all Jesus-focused. For me (and probably every rainbow I know) these songs don't qualify as rainbow songs.
Not pop songs
There are many musicians at rainbow, so that, as at any campout, you may sometimes hear songs from popular culture. Yet it's not enough for a song to be heard around the fire at a gathering for it to become a rainbow song. Hotel California and Wish you Were Here are definitely not rainbow songs :)
No, most rainbow songs are songs that originated within the rainbow. Most of the time, they are quite unknown outside rainbow. If a song sometimes gets adopted, it is not from mainstream culture, but from alternative circles or kindergarten. :)
Kevin, Aneira and other rainbow minstrels
The rainbow is rich with musicians, some outstanding, some horrendous. Among rainbow musicians, some specialize in leading the family in song around the fire. For me, they perform a high service—some of my best rainbow memories are from these late-night sessions.The first rainbow "minstrel" I noticed is called Aneira. At Nymboida (Australia), he played the violin at every meal to accompany the magic hat around the circle. Aneira has a striking presence and a joyful energy. In song circles, he usually plays the guitar, often together with many musicians. I love that his playing is inclusive: it doesn't feel like you're attending Aneira's show. At Washpool, Aneira performed nightly with Miky and Maeghan (other rainbow musicians I love) in highly successful circles by the chocolate chai shop.
The Nymboida gathering was graced with several "rainbow song circle leaders". The second one I noticed is Kevin (a.k.a. "Kevin from Heaven"), a talented musician. Kevin focuses more on heart songs, and when you sit at his circles, they don't feel at all like the chaotic after-dinner sessions that often take place by the main fire—with the flutes and the screams and the drums. Kevin's beautiful guitar arrangements are too delicate for that kind of noise. Joining his circles feels a bit like being invited to sing along at his private concerts.
One thing I love about Kevin, apart from his voice, his musical skill and his good looks, is that he knows when to stop, unlike some Hare-Krishna-trained bhajan leaders who will not give up on a song until everyone is about to drop dead with boredom. Real musicians know when to stop!
Kevin's website has great audio samples from his CD, One, recorded with his partner Mel (who plays the harmonium) and musicians and singers from the Byron Bay area. There are more Kevin clips lower on this page. At some stage I would also love to add samples from Aneira's sessions.
There are many other rainbow minstrels, but these two stand out in my mind, partly because they played the first rainbow songs I heard, partly because they live in the "rainbow region" around Byron Bay and Mullumbimby as I often do, and partly because they are among the best I've heard at what they do—raising that very special energy that comes out when the rainbow family is led in rainbow song. After attending Australian gatherings, I took that energy for granted, but I was mistaken. At the New Mexico gathering, it took twelve days until I heard a single rainbow song!
To stray a moment from the topic of "rainbow song circle leaders" into that of rainbow musicians, I would like to mention three of the many who were at the 2009 world gathering in New Zealand: Isaac Cantor, the best banjo player in the woods; MJ, one of the best hand drummers I've seen in the world, Africa included; and Brother Bear, whose dynamic flute features with Isaac on the audio clips (follow the Isaac link in this paragraph).
Rainbow Lyrics
The lyrics of Rainbow songs are unequal. Some songs are polished gems. Others are riddled with faulty syntax and fluffy phrases. All are well-meaning.I used to have a soft spot for most heart songs, whether they made sense to me or not.
Since coming to the end of the path with Dolano, I have lost my taste (and patience) for songs with well-meaning spiritual words that don't mean anything. It can be a bit painful to see so much energy spent in wrong directions. I'm pleased to announce that on this page, I've purposefully avoided one "spiritually neurotic" song that informs "you" that you are 1) nothing less than whole and 2) connected to your soul. Hello, if you are whole, how can you be connected to your soul? Are there two of you (you and your soul)? :) It's a particularly whiny song that may keep some people on the path forever. It's hard to wake up when you're hypnotised…
I still looove many of the heart songs, even if they don't always make complete sense—that's the poetic dimension. I also love how some of the more dynamic, tribal songs can trigger high energy in everyone, producing a group high. And I relish the very silly songs that put a smile on everyone's face.
Audio Troubleshooting
If the audio does not play, the Flash player is probably not installed in your browser (download it from Adobe). At the moment Flash does not work in 64-bit browsers—a problem with some versions of Internet Explorer: a good time to try Firefox?Here We Are Once Again
This is one of the first rainbow songs I ever heard, and it's still one of my favorites.
It's an amazing treat to have a beautiful sample of this song, straight from Kevin's website—a track from his One CD. (In case the file moves, here's a lower-quality version )
And here is a low-quality recording at the NZ Gathering where the circle doesn't sound as good.
Here we are once again holding hands in a circle
And the love that we share shining out all over the world
People of the world are now awakening
Feels like we've all been here before
Remember the love, remember that power
We thought we lost so long ago
Let love rain, let it rain, let love rain all over the world
Let peace reign, let it reign, let peace reign all over the world
Freedom, freedom, freedom, freedom
I'm in You
This is how the song normally sounds.
And here is how it sounds when led by Fantuzzi, a famous rainbow musician. This great recording was made by Tenali, of Kickapoo fame. The original lives on the welcome home site's mp3 page. (In case the track disappears, here is a lower-quality version )
You are my mother, you are my father,
You are my lover and my best friend
You are the mountain, you are the ocean,
You are the beginning without end
And I love you so, cause you help me see
And to see you in all, is to see you in me
I'm in you and you're in me
Here is the Fantuzzi version:
You're the beginning, you are the center, you are beyond the end
You are the colors of the rainbow
you are the pure white light in me
You are the rivers, you are the mountains,
you're the sky, you are the sea
I love you so, you help me see,
And to see you in all, is to see you in me
I'm in you and you're in me
I want to touch you, I want to feel you,
I want to be right by your side
I want to know you, love you,
I'm going to serve you all the time
'Cause…
You are my mother, you are my father,
you are my lover, my best friend
You're the beginning, you are the center
You are beyond the end
Happy and Well
This contagious song was a darling of the Washpool gathering in Australia. It gets your energy up pretty fast.I'm so glad... Every little cell
In my body is happy and well!
Every little cell in my body is happy,
Every little cell in my body is well
Way of the heart
This popular number is a bit of a yawner for me, but it's harmless. On this clip, it was the last song of 2009 at the world gathering in New Zealand.
Let the way of the heart, let the way of the heart
Let the way of the heart shine through
Love upon love upon love
All hearts are beating as one
Light upon light upon light
All disappears into one
The Sound of Angels Singing
I first heard this song one evening in the circle just before the Om at the Washpool gathering. Aneira led the song on the guitar, surrounded by five or six women, all of them radiating that rainbow bliss one feels in particularly yummy rainbow moments. It was incredibly uplifting, and I hoped for a repeat for several years. The chance came at the world gathering in New Zealand, where it was the first song of 2010 at Kevin and Mel's heart song circle in the kids' space.
Listen to the sound of the angels singing
Calling to your heart, singing for your soul
Listen to the sound of the angels singing
Singing heaven is here right now!…
Happy!
For whatever reason, I love this song:Let the love we're sharing spread its wings…
Fly across the Earth, and bring new joy to every soul that is alive
May all the beings in the world be happy
I have heard versions that switch out the last stanza with prayers in several languages of the world—Tibetan, Sanskrit, Arabic, Hebrew, etc. I think one such stanza is "loka samasta sukhino bhavantu".
Mother I Feel You
Here is a fun, high-energy song. I love this rendition from the Rainbow Spirit Video Soundtrack. In case the track disappears, here's a lower-quality stream.
Mother I feel you under my feet
Mother I hear your heart beat
Heya heya heya… Ya heya heya ho!
Heya heya heya heya heya heya ho!
Mother I hear you in the river song
Eternal waters flowing on and on
Father I see you where the eagle flies
Light of the spirit gonna take us higher
Infinite Sun
Besides being heard at rainbow, this song-and-dance is a classic of solstice ceremonies and new age workshops around the world.Uwate, renno renno mahote
Haino, haino, haino
We're all one with the infinite sun,
forever and ever and ever.
Witchy Taio
Just Another Native-American-Inspired Rainbow Song :)Hey witchy taio
Fly like an eagle, flying so high
Circling the universe on wings of pure light
We Are Opening
This song has a good melody and energy, but I find the lyrics way too fluffy to sing it with pleasure. This so-so rendition is from the Rainbow Spirit Video Soundtrack. In case the track disappears, here's a lower-quality stream.
We are opening up in sweet surrender
To the luminous love light of the One.
We are opening… We are opening.
We are rising up like a phoenix from the fire
Brothers and sisters spread your wings and fly higher
We are opening… We are opening
Bole Bom Bom
This probably doesn't qualify as a rainbow song as it doesn't contain a single word of English. I'm not usually one for bhajan and Sanskrit songs, but I like this one because of the Bole Bom Bom action :) I've only heard it a few times, played by the beautiful Miky and Meaghan. It goes something like this:Shiva nama Om, Om nama shivaya
Alak Alak Bom, Alak Alak Bom Bom
Alak Shiva Shambo
Kailash ke raja shiva bole
Bom Bom Bolenat
Earth Water Air Fire
This is a rainbow classic that I find quite boring, partly because the lyrics make no sense to me. "Water my blood"??? This is a recording made on December 31 2009 at the world rainbow gathering in New Zealand. And here is a much better recording, sampled from Kevin's One CD.
Earth my body, water my blood
Air my breath and fire my spirit!
Lost & Found—Please Help
Sometimes, there is one song that you hear over and over for an entire gathering, a song whose words and melody stick to your mind and heart. When you get to the next gathering, you cannot wait to hear the song again. But it doesn't return!In this space I will post the few lyrics I remember from lost rainbow songs. If you know a song, you would bring me a big smile if you could use the "Comment" form at the bottom of the page to remind me of the missing lyrics. Thank you :)
Lost song #1
I think this song might be about a rainbow tribe. Here are the shreds I remember.
We're the ones (…da da di, da da…?)
We're the ones we've been waiting for…
We… remember… We… remember!
Rainbow Music Links
The welcomehome site has an mp3 page with beautiful recordings made by Tenali at many US gatherings. The focus is less on rainbow songs than on rainbow music.Tenali's site is full of rainbow music. A treasure trove.
I have made a page that streams the tracks from the Rainbow Spirit Video (audio hosted on the welcomehome site).
More links to come.
Smiles,
Andy
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