The tape was a hit locally—i.e. on the playgrounds where he and his daughter played—and Zanes realized that he liked making music that families could enjoy together, as opposed to music that is just for children or just for adults. So, he added a small number of women to his band, renamed it the Rocket Ship Revue, and began making a full-length homemade album, enlisting the help of some people he had met when he was a Del Fuego--Sheryl Crow, Suzanne Vega, and Simon Kirke, the drummer for Bad Company.
The album, Rocket Ship Beach (2000), was also a hit. The New York Times Magazine called it "cool", and added, "Mostly, though, Zanes' kids music works because it is not kids music; it's just music—-music that's unsanitized, unpasteurized, that's organic even." Sheryl Crow and Suzanne Vega made guest appearances on the album. The second album, Family Dance (2001) is composed of dance songs from a wide variety of musical traditions and features Loudon Wainwright III and Roseanne Cash. The third recording, the more mellow Night Time! (2002), features collaborations with Aimee Mann, Lou Reed, John Doe, Dar Williams, and other established musicians.
The fourth album in the family series is House Party (2003), a rambunctious 20-song collection with a diverse instrumentation that, in addition to the usual guitars, banjos, upright bass and drums, includes such instruments as tuba, accordion, pump organ, djembe and saw. House Party was nominated for a Grammy in the Musical Album for Children category. Music video selections from the House Party album play during the Disney Channel's morning program suite known as Playhouse Disney.
In 2007, Zanes received the Grammy Award for Best Musical Album for Children for Catch That Train! and produced a children's reggae CD with Father Goose called "Its a Bam Bam Diddly", which also features songs performed by Sister Carol and Sheryl Crow.
In early 2009, Zanes' ¡Nueva York! won in The 8th Annual Independent Music Awards for Best Children's Music Album.
Wild Mountain Thyme
Dan Zanes and Friends Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
and the trees are sweetly blooming,
and the wild mountain thyme
grows around the purple heather
will you go, lassie go,
chorus:
and we'll all go together to pull wild mountain thyme
will you go, lassie, go
i will build my love a bower
by yon pure and crystal fountain
and on it i will pile
all the flowers of the mountain.
will you go, lassie, go
[chorus]
if my true love e'er should leave me
i would surely find another
where the wild mountain thyme
grows around the blooming heather.
[chorus]
oh, the autumn-time is coming,
and the leaves are gently falling,
where the wild mountain thyme
grows around the blooming heather
[chorus]
The lyrics to Dan Zanes and Friends' song Wild Mountain Thyme are steeped in romance and the natural beauty of the Scottish countryside. The singer is inviting his "lassie" to come with him and enjoy the summertime and the blooming heather. The wild mountain thyme is a key symbol of their love as it represents the fragility and fleeting nature of life, but also its beauty and resilience. The lyrics then describe the singer's desire to build a bower for his love by a pure and crystal fountain, adorned with all the flowers of the mountain. This is a beautiful and romantic image of a place where the singer and his love can be together, surrounded by the natural beauty of Scotland.
The chorus is an invitation to everyone to join in and pull wild mountain thyme together around the blooming heather. The repetition of the question "will you go, lassie, go" not only adds to the song's romanticism, but it also invites the listener to become part of the story. The final verse speaks of autumn, and of the leaves gently falling, yet the wild mountain thyme still grows around the blooming heather. This is a poignant reminder that even though life may be fleeting and beautiful, it is also resilient and enduring, just like the thyme.
Line by Line Meaning
oh, the summertime is coming,
The hot season is arriving.
and the trees are sweetly blooming,
The trees are blossoming beautifully.
and the wild mountain thyme
A plant named wild mountain thyme.
grows around the purple heather
The wild mountain thyme is growing near the purple heather.
will you go, lassie go,
Are you willing to come with me?
chorus:
Refrain
and we'll all go together to pull wild mountain thyme
We will all pick the wild mountain thyme together.
all around the blooming heather.
It grows all around the blooming heather.
will you go, lassie, go
Are you willing to come with me?
i will build my love a bower
I will construct a shelter for my love.
by yon pure and crystal fountain
Next to that pure and crystal clear fountain.
and on it i will pile
And there I will place.
all the flowers of the mountain.
Every type of flower found in the mountain.
will you go, lassie, go
Are you willing to come with me?
chorus:
Refrain
if my true love e'er should leave me
If my true love ever leaves me.
i would surely find another
I would certainly find someone else.
where the wild mountain thyme
Where the wild mountain thyme.
grows around the blooming heather.
Is growing all around the blooming heather.
chorus:
Refrain
oh, the autumn-time is coming,
Cooler weather is on its way.
and the leaves are gently falling,
The leaves are falling softly.
where the wild mountain thyme
Where the wild mountain thyme.
grows around the blooming heather
Is growing all around the blooming heather.
chorus:
Refrain
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Sentric Music, Songtrust Ave, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: JOHN BALDRY, DAVID JOHNSTONE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind