Lords of the Dance

Marginally Celtic in ancestry, with traces of Welsh and Scottish if my aunt is to be believed (and I like to think so), we celebrate St. Patrick's Day mainly so we can bake soda bread, each corned beef and cabbage, and listen to bagpipe music.  All of which we happily did on Saturday. Sis helped with the soda bread, divided into three loaves based on caraway seed/raisin add-ins (Mama takes all, Sis none.  Bud and I eat raisins and shared a loaf).  We accidentally tripled the sugar for--chalk it up to a glare on the iPad; it was tasty-sweet!   The favorite activity, however, was actually singing "Lord of the Dance."  Which is not really Irish at all--with lyrics written in 1967 by English songwriter Sydney Carter to accompany the American Shaker tune "Simple Gifts," the song is a first-person account by Jesus, from birth to resurrection.  Still, if it's good enough for Michael Flatley, it's good enough for us.  We sang the chorus over and over again with Bud eventually showing us the Irish step-dancing he learned at a school assembly.

"Lord of the Dance"
I danced in the morning when the world was begun
I danced in the Moon & the Stars & the Sun
I came down from Heaven & I danced on Earth
At Bethlehem I had my birth:

Dance then, wherever you may be
I am the Lord of the Dance, said He!
And I'll lead you all, wherever you may be
And I'll lead you all in the Dance, said He!
(...lead you all in the Dance, said He!)

I danced for the scribe & the pharisee
But they would not dance & they wouldn't follow me
I danced for fishermen, for James & John
They came with me & the Dance went on:

Dance then, wherever you may be
I am the Lord of the Dance, said He!
And I'll lead you all, wherever you may be
And I'll lead you all in the Dance, said He!
(...lead you all in the Dance, said He!) 
[ Lyrics from: http://www.lyricsmode.com/lyrics/s/sydney_carter/lord_of_the_dance.html ]
I danced on the Sabbath & I cured the lame
The holy people said it was a shame!
They whipped & they stripped & they hung me high
And they left me there on a cross to die!

Dance then, wherever you may be
I am the Lord of the Dance, said He!
And I'll lead you all, wherever you may be
And I'll lead you all in the Dance, said He!
(...lead you all in the Dance, said He!) 

I danced on a Friday when the sky turned black
It's hard to dance with the devil on your back
They buried my body & they thought I'd gone
But I am the Dance & I still go on!

Dance then, wherever you may be
I am the Lord of the Dance, said He!
And I'll lead you all, wherever you may be
And I'll lead you all in the Dance, said He!
(...lead you all in the Dance, said He!)

They cut me down and I leapt up high
I am the Life that'll never, never die!
I'll live in you if you'll live in Me -
I am the Lord of the Dance, said He!

Dance then, wherever you may be
I am the Lord of the Dance, said He!
And I'll lead you all, wherever you may be
And I'll lead you all in the Dance, said He!