Song for Day 82 - "Dreamers on the Rise" by John Stewart

Day 82 - "Dreamers on the Rise" by John Stewart

     "Dreamers on the Rise" from "Revenge of the Budgie" (1983) demonstrates yet again John Stewart's utter mastery of the campaign song genre (in case "The Last Campaign", "Survivors",  "Clack, Clack" and "The Last Hurrah" didn't remove any doubt).

     "Dreamers on the Rise" is a poignant view of another loss.  It is dedicated to us, and the memory of those with us in spirit.

 Lyrics for "Dreamers on the Rise":

Bobby, Buffy and John campaigning in 1968.

Ah, once
We were dreamers on the rise
We were the sun
Where the sun never shines
And we were gold
Where the night bird only flies
Oh, that's a long time you know
For that kind of wind to blow
A long time ago
We were dreamers on the rise

And twice
We said we'd begin again
And we made a vow
That we'd remain as friends
And fallen down
We said we shall rise again
Ah, that's a long time you know
For that kind of wind to blow
A long time ago
We were dreamers on the mend
A long time ago
We were dreamers on the mend

And if three
Wishes came into my life
I'd say one
Was to gaze into your eyes
And I'd say two
Would be turning back our lives
And three's a long way to go
For that kind of wind to blow
A long time ago
We were dreamers on the rise
A long time ago
We were dreamers on the rise
A long time ago
We were dreamers on the rise

Song for Day 66 - "All the Desperate Men" by John Stewart

Singer Buffy Ford Stewart and songwriter husband, John.

Day 66 - "All the Desperate Men" by John Stewart

     "All the Desperate Men" was written in 1982 and released on the Swedish remix of "Blondes"  later that year.  It was re-released in 2000 on "Wires from the Bunker".  As such, it straddles John's career before retirement and the addendum where he had to make a comeback to pay for his wife's medical bills before his own death in 2008. 

      Clearly, no singer was closer to the American political scene and, in my view, no one captured it on vinyl better.

      It is too late to ask what happens when all these desperate men (and a few desperate women) stumble into power.

Lyrics and Chords:


(Dm) (Bb) (Dm) (Bb) (Dm) (Bb)

(Dm)Out there on the (Bb)street

(Dm)You can hear ´em mumble, (Bb)stumble on their feet.

They are(F) all the (C)desperate (Dm)men.


Out there on the (Bb)road

You (Dm)see them on the highway, (Bb)ev´rywhere you go.

They are(F) all the (C)desperate (Dm)men,

(Bb)All the (C)desperate (F)men,

(Bb)Singin´,"Will I (C)ever, will I (F)ever (Am7)love a(Bb)gain?"

(Bb6)All the (C)desperate (F)men. (Dm) (Bb) (Dm) (Bb)


(Dm)Right there in your (Bb)bed

(Dm)Tossin´ and a turnin´ on the (Bb)pillow by your head,

Yes,(F) all the (C)desperate (Dm)men.


Right there in your (Bb)arm

(Dm)You can hear ´em crying, (Bb)sounding the alarm.

Yes,(F) all the (C)desperate (Dm)men,

(Bb)All the (C)desperate (F)men,

(Bb)Singin´, "Will I (C)ever, will I (F)ever (Am7)love a(Bb)gain?"

(Bb6)All the (C)desperate (F)men.


(Bb)(C)All the (Bb)desperate men,

Yes, (Dm)all the (C)desperate (F)men.

(Bb)(C)All the (Bb)desperate men,

Yes, (Dm)all the (C)desperate (F)men. (Dm) (Bb) (Dm)


(Bb)(C)All the (Bb)desperate men,

We are (Dm)all the (C)desperate (F)men.

(Bb)(C)All the (Bb)desperate men,

We are (Dm)all the (C)desperate (F)men.

(Bb)(C)All the (Bb)desperate men,

We are (Dm)all the (C)desperate (F)men.

(Bb)(C)All the (Bb)desperate men,

We are (Dm)all the (C)desperate (F)men.

(Bb)(C)All the (Bb)desperate men,

We are (Dm)all the (C)desperate (F)men.

(Bb)(C)All the (Bb)desperate men,

(Dm)All the (C)desperate (F)men.