Do Not Go Gentle
What does it mean to "rage against the dying of the light"? Inspired by the famous poem "Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night" by Dylan Thomas, this ballad describes the process of rejecting the darkness of unconscious behavior and becoming a light-bearer, a person who guides others towards consciousness. It features a lengthy alto soloist for the first verse and chorus.
Instrumentation: Piano/Synth/Guitar/Bass/Drums/Percussion/2 Tpt/2 Tbn/Alto, Tenor Sax
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The night is everlasting And I’ve been walking west Enfolded in the blissful warmth of the dark So easy for my eyes To relax and lose their focus So easy for my ears To miss the song of the lark Wake up, it says, get out of bed There is a daunting task ahead Turn around, the dawn is near But until the sun arrives Do not go gentle into the night Never surrender without a fight, you’ve got to Rage against the dying of the light Keep your torches burning bright We are surrounded by an illusion Shrouding our hearts and minds in the veil of a lie If you can get to higher ground Look down at the maze below At the walls we have built in fear that created this great divide It’s up to you to spread the truth To light your torch and shine So hold it up high and trace an arc And when you encounter the face of the dark Do not go gentle into the night Never surrender without a fight, you’ve got to Rage against the dying of the light Keep your torches burning bright Lead the way for every soul who is lost and afraid Let the warmth of your compassion build a mighty barricade Come together as the guardians from above Pick up your weapons of justice, truth, and love We will defend what we know is right We will not run away We will stand and fight Do not go gentle into the night Never surrender without a fight, you’ve got to Rage against the dying of the light Keep your torches burning bright
Using the links in the menu, you can view a sample of this arrangement and hear sample recordings.