A Prairie Home Companion with Garrison Keillor

Ode to Silence lyrics
Saturday, May 20, 2006
Listen

In a world of crashing and woofing and humming
Of roaring and snoring and going and coming
In a world of noise and outright violence
In Iceland one discovers silence

Silence.
Quiet.
Stillness.
Try it.

IPods, Muzak, cellphones, and general hysteria
TVs on in every public waiting area
Sometimes a person feels devoured by sound
In Iceland, people have calmed down

Easy.
Be still.
If you do.
Then I will.

Here's to the gentle people here today
Who think of things that they then do not say
Who keep some feelings bottled up inside
Who can sit in a hot bath and be satisfied

Hold the music, hold the mayo
Gloria in excelsis deo

The climate neither hot nor cold
The language thousands of years old
Poems and stories gently age
Iceland turns another page

Shhh.
Shhh.
Shhh.
Shhh.

Iceland—This is a song in your praise
Though I've been here only three days
So glad we got the chance to meet
Come up close so I can hear you

1 2 3 4
Sitting on the ocean shore
5 6 7 8
It's okay. Just sit and wait

9 10 11 12
Lovely being by yourself
12 11 10 9
Bird song. Smell of Pine.

8 7 6 5
Yes, you are still alive
4 3 2 1
Done.