The Annotated "I Will Take You Home"

Lyrics omitted. The annotations below are reproduced by permission of David Dodd; the song lyrics themselves are copyrighted and are not reproduced here. Read them at the official source: dead.net/songs.

• Built to Last
• Dozin' at the Knick

First performance: Wednesday, June 22, 1988, at Alpine Valley Music Theatre, East Troy, Wisconsin. "I Will Take You Home" appeared in the second set, preceded by "Scarlet Begonias" and followed by Drumz. Final performance: July 14, 1990, at Foxboro Stadium in Foxboro, Massachusetts, twelve days before Mydland's death on July 26.

This note from a reader:

Subject: I will take you home
Date: Tue, 24 Sep 96 12:28:42 CDT
From: rrenken@unlinfo.unl.edu

David,

While reading through the text about "Ripple," the line "If I knew the way, I would take you home" jumped out at me as to how similar it was with Brent's "I will take you home". (...)

Roger Renken
Lincoln Nebraska

Little girl lost

The Little Girl Lost 



     In futurity 

     I prophetic see 

     That the earth from sleep 

     (Grave the sentence deep) 



     Shall arise and seek 

     For her maker meek; 

     And in the desart wild 

     Become a garden mild. 



     * * * 



     In the southern clime, 

     Where the summer's prime 

     Never fades away, 

     Lovely Lyca lay. 



     Seven summers old 

     Lovely Lyca told; 

     She had wander'd long 

     Hearing wild birds' song. 



     ``Sweet sleep, come to me 

     Underneath this tree. 

     Do father, mother weep, 

     Where can Lyca sleep? 



     ``Lost in desart wild 

     Is your little child. 

     How can Lyca sleep 

     If her mother weep? 



     ``If her heart does ake 

     Then let Lyca wake; 

     If my mother sleep, 

     Lyca shall not weep. 



     ``Frowning, frowning night, 

     O'er this desart bright 

     Let thy moon arise 

     While I close my eyes.'' 



     Sleeping Lyca lay 

     While the beasts of prey, 

     Come from caverns deep, 

     View'd the maid asleep. 



     The kingly lion stood 

     And the virgin view'd, 

     Then he gamboll'd round 

     O'er the hollow'd ground. 



     Leopards, tygers, play 

     Round her as she lay, 

     While the lion old 

     Bow'd his mane of gold. 



     And her bosom lick, 

     And upon her neck 

     From his eyes of flame 

     Ruby tears there came; 



     While the lioness 

     Loos'd her slender dress, 

     And naked they convey'd 

     To caves the sleeping maid. 

Also the title of a 1932 novel by Temple Bailey. According to The Book Review Digest of that year:

"'Sentimental love story about a young girl of 19 who takes a year to make up her mind just which man she wants to marry--the fascinator who doesn't really believe in marriage, and hasn't a nickel, or the fine-looking young man who wants terribly to marry her, and is incidentally worth several millions. She arives at her momentous decision after a number of adventures, and promises to marry the nice young man with the millions.' --Springfield Republican"

The title has since been used repeatedly, including recently by Drew Barrymore for her autobiographical account of drug abuse.

Bogeyman

boogerman n Also sp boogarman, buggerman...
1 also boog man:...(Note: boogeyman is the more frequently used term throughout the U.S. except in the Sth where it is slightly less common than boogerman. ... A spirit of the dark that carries off children..."

This is one of those words whose etymology is very murky, and this seems appropriate.