Blue Sky Cathedral
Adam Brand Lyrics


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My grand daddy never went to church
Felt closer to God with his hands in the dirt
Doing hard work
Sun on his face sweat on his brow, wind in his hair
He'd say a prayer, anywhere
Be standing in the middle of a fresh mowed field
The spirit would move
He'd just kneel and start giving thanks
For God's green earth
When it came to church he preferred his

Blue sky cathedral with it's white pine steeples
Sunrise for a stained glass window
Singing along with that song bird hymnal
Made his soul fly like an eagle under that blue sky cathedral

Every now and then some folks from town
They'd drop in try and bring him round
Into the fold but he'd just smile
Fix 'em some tea and let 'em talk a while
And when they'd leave he'd say to me
Son some people gotta have four walls
To keep the word and heed the call
But that's ok
As for me I do better underneath my

Thirty years since he's been gone




We buried him up on the hill
But it don't matter where I am

Overall Meaning

, or where I roam
Close my eyes and I can feel him still


The song "Blue Sky Cathedral" by Adam Brand is an ode to his granddaddy who preferred to worship nature than a physical church. In the opening verse, Brand tells the story of his grandfather who never attended church as he felt closer to God while doing hard work with his hands in the dirt. Even when he was out in the fields, he would kneel and start giving thanks to the spirit in the middle of a fresh mowed field. This led his granddaddy to prefer his "Blue Sky Cathedral" with its white pine steeples, sunrise for a stained glass window, and singing along with the songbird hymnal that made his soul fly like an eagle.


Brand's grandfather would often decline offers from people in town to attend church and instead, make them some tea and let them talk awhile. He believed that some people need four walls to keep the word and heed the call, but for himself, he did better underneath his blue sky cathedral. It's clear from the chorus that Brand feels the same way about his granddaddy's love for nature, as he says "wherever I am or wherever I roam, I can feel him still."


Overall, "Blue Sky Cathedral" is a beautiful song that encourages listeners to find their own special place to connect with the universe and feel close to a higher power. It teaches us that sometimes, something as simple as being surrounded by nature is enough to make us feel grateful and connected.


Line by Line Meaning

My grand daddy never went to church
My grandfather never attended religious gatherings


Felt closer to God with his hands in the dirt
He felt a closer connection with God while working in the earth


Doing hard work
Engaging in manual labor


Sun on his face sweat on his brow, wind in his hair
He worked in natural conditions, exposed to the elements


He'd say a prayer, anywhere
He would offer up a prayer wherever he was


Be standing in the middle of a fresh mowed field
He could be standing in fields he had tended to


The spirit would move
He would be filled with a sense of spirituality and devotion


He'd just kneel and start giving thanks
He would kneel down and express his gratitude to God


For God's green earth
He was thankful for the natural abundance of life


When it came to church he preferred his
He was content with his own expression of faith


Blue sky cathedral with it's white pine steeples
His outdoor environment, surrounded by trees with white tops


Sunrise for a stained glass window
The natural phenomenon of the sun rising as his religious light


Singing along with that song bird hymnal
Singing songs in unison with birds


Made his soul fly like an eagle under that blue sky cathedral
He experienced a spiritual elevation while surrounded by nature


Every now and then some folks from town
Occasionally some visitors from nearby town would come to visit him


They'd drop in try and bring him round
They would try to persuade him to attend religious meetings


Into the fold but he'd just smile
He remained content with his own faith and would respond positively to their visit


Fix 'em some tea and let 'em talk a while
He would make them some tea and converse with them


And when they'd leave he'd say to me
He would reflect on their visit afterwards


Son some people gotta have four walls
Some individuals require a traditional church setting


To keep the word and heed the call
They believe they need a more formal setting to remain pious


But that's ok
He didn't judge anyone else's method of worship


As for me I do better underneath my
But he felt more comfortable and energized practicing in the outdoors


Thirty years since he's been gone
Since his passing, thirty years have passed


We buried him up on the hill
He was buried in a hill


But it don't matter where I am
He remains content with his own method of spiritual connection




Contributed by Jacob I. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
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Comments from YouTube:

Christine Barnes

Another good heart warming song Adam, keep it up mate, you're doing good!!

Kat OttsLotts

Another excellent song from Adam, get's better like a fine wine, love this guy

David J

Cheers Adam. I really feel the words in this song. The old church ways are finished and am waiting for the real church to rise but until then the cathedral in the Blue Sky is my place of worship as well. Keep up the good work :)

Stacey Moles

Wow!! Love it! ;)

Kat OttsLotts

Hope he can dance as good as he sings - watch 'DANCING WITH THE STARS' starting 5 July. You have my vota ADAM!!!