Garth Brooks

I’ve been waiting to post these lyrics to my mother for a long time. I’ve always thought them very fitting to her, and my father, but more from my father to her. Little did I know my chance would come after actually seeing Garth Brooks sing it to me one more time. For those who don’t know where my love of live music came from, it is a direct result of my 13th birthday. For my 13th birthday, way back when, mom got her and I tickets to go see Garth Brooks at the Hollywood Bowl, and ever since then I’ve been fascinated by the power of rock and the overwhelming energy of a crowd all going hard in the same direction. Collective effervescence, it the essence of revelatory experience I think. Even though I have since grown from my country roots into the jam band scene, and then back into bluegrass, it all started with Garth. I was country when country wasn’t cool to be cliché. When I drove through KC on my way out to Aspen, my buddy Rich Cray informed me of Garth Brooks’ special one show, one time run at the new Sprint Center in Kansas City. Even though the one show turned into nine because he kept adding shows to appease the crowds (see prior blog entry article), last night was the first time he hit the stage in nine years. “Once in a lifetime, dude.” I was an easy sell.









Since I called Mom during the show so she could hear “The Dance” with me, the secrets out. Rich Cray and me went to see Garth’s triumphant return to the stage, and indeed it was just that. I stand by Garth Brooks as still being one the best shows ever. The amount of energy in the arena is still unmatched. His voice is still unbeatable. He doesn’t run around quite as much, but then again it was the first of nine straight shows, he’s got 10 years on him now, but you wouldn’t think he’d missed a lick by the show he put on. The look of amazement on his face listening to the crowd was priceless, and I wouldn’t have preferred any of the other shows. Opening night, baby. Thank you Garth Brooks, what a treat. It was a sing along the whole way through, and his second encore was a medley of his favorite songs from James Taylor’s “Fire and Rain” to Bob Sieger’s “Night Moves” to George Straight’s “Unwound” to Don McLean’s “American Pie.” He’s rocking out right now, and you should all go to www.garthbrooks.com and find a theater near you where he’s going to broadcast his final show on the 14th all around the planet. You have not yet missed your chance to see the “Entertainer of the Century” again. I hear he just passed Elvis in most records sold, ever. Check it out, I’m not lying.

So Mom, here you go. From Dad sent through the Walls of Time…

The Dance
Garth Brooks

Looking back on the memory of
The dance we shared 'neath the stars alone
For a moment all the world was right
How could I have known that you'd ever say goodbye

And now I'm glad I didn't know
The way it all would end the way it all would go
Our lives are better left to chance I could have missed the pain
But I'd of had to miss the dance

Holding you I held everything
For a moment wasn't I a king
But if I'd only known how the king would fall
Hey who's to say you know I might have chanced it all

And now I'm glad I didn't know
The way it all would end the way it all would go
Our lives are better left to chance I could have missed the pain
But I'd of had to miss the dance

Yes my life is better left to chance
I could have missed the pain but I'd of had to miss the dance



(more video's on my youtube channel.)