The first of his American television roles was as family patriarch Ben Cartwright on the long-running western series Bonanza (1959–1973), making Greene a household name. He garnered the role after having turned in a highly-regarded performance in a production of Nineteen Eighty-Four for the Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS). After the cancellation of Bonanza, he was host for the CBS nature documentary series "Last of the Wild" from 1974 to 1975. During the 1977 miniseries, Roots, he played the first master of Kunta Kinte, John Reynolds.
Greene's next best-known role was Commander Adama, another patriarchal figure, in the science fiction feature film and television series Battlestar Galactica (1978–1979) and Galactica 1980 (1980).
In 1964, Greene had a #1 single on the music charts with his hit ballad, "Ringo." [[1]] He was also known as the host and narrator of the nature series, Lorne Greene's New Wilderness. He also appeared in the HBO mockumentary The Canadian Conspiracy, about the supposed subversion of the United States by Canadian-born media personalities. For nearly a decade, Greene co-hosted the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade on NBC. He is also fondly remembered as the founder of Toronto's Academy of Radio Arts which had been founded as the Lorne Greene School of Broadcasting.
Sand
Lorne Greene Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
While prospecting for gold in one of our western States
I saw the silent windmills, the crumbling water tanks
The bones of cattle and burros, picked clean by buzzards
Bleached by the desert suns
I stumbled over a crumbling buckboard nearly covered by the sands
And stopping to rest, I heard a tinkling, whispering sound
Then suddenly realized that even though the wind was quiet
I seemed to be surround by a mystery
So heavy and oppressive I could scarcely breath
For days and weeks I wandered aimlessly in this valley
Seeking answers to the many questions
That raced through my fevered mind
Where was everyone
Why the white bones
The dry wells
The barren valley where people must have lived and died
Finally I could go no farther
My food and water gone
I sat down and buried my face in my hands
And resting thus, I learned the secret
Of the Shifting, whispering sands
How I managed to escape from the valley I do not know
But now to pay my final debt for being spared
I must tell you what I learned out on the desert
So many years ago
When the day is awfully quiet
And the breeze seems not to blow
One would think the sand was resting
But you'll find this is not so
It is whispering, softly whispering
As it slowly moves along
And for those who stop and listen
It will sing this mournful song
Of sidewinders and the horn toads
Of the thorny chaparral
Endless sunny days and moonlit nights
The coyotes lonely yell
Of the stars seem you could tough them
As you lay and gaze on high
At the heavens where we're hoping
We'll be going when we die
The lyrics to Lorne Greene's "Sand" describe the experience of a gold prospector who stumbles upon a valley filled with mysteries. The valley appears to have been the site of a settlement in the past, but now all that remains are the bones of cattle and burros picked clean by buzzards, dry wells, and crumbling structures. The singer spends days and weeks wandering the valley, searching for clues about what happened to the people who lived there. Finally, he rests and discovers the secret of the shifting, whispering sands - they are not still, but constantly moving and singing a mournful song about life in the desert.
The song is full of vivid imagery that helps to paint a picture of the harsh desert landscape. The silent windmills, crumbling water tanks, and buzzing of vultures all contribute to the sense of abandoned desolation. The singer's feverish quest for understanding is conveyed through the racing questions that fill his mind. The sand itself is anthropomorphized, given the ability to whisper and sing mournfully about life in the desert.
Overall, "Sand" is a haunting and poignant portrayal of the mysterious forces that shape our world, even in the most desolate of places. It invites us to reflect on the transience of life and the power of nature to both create and destroy.
Line by Line Meaning
I discovered the valley of the shifting, whispering sands
I found a place in the western States with sand that moves and makes noise.
While prospecting for gold in one of our western States
I came across the sands while searching for gold in the west.
I saw the silent windmills, the crumbling water tanks
I noticed old windmills and decaying water tanks in the area.
The bones of cattle and burros, picked clean by buzzards
Buzzards ate the flesh off of cattle and donkeys, leaving their bones exposed.
Bleached by the desert suns
The sun of the desert had faded the bones to near white.
I stumbled over a crumbling buckboard nearly covered by the sands
I tripped over an old wagon, mostly covered in the sand.
And stopping to rest, I heard a tinkling, whispering sound
Pausing for a break, I heard a faint noise coming from the sand.
Then suddenly realized that even though the wind was quiet
I came to the realization that although the air was still, the sand was not.
The sand did not lie still
The sand was constantly moving.
I seemed to be surround by a mystery
I felt like I had stumbled upon a puzzling situation.
So heavy and oppressive I could scarcely breath
The situation was so overwhelming it became difficult to breathe.
For days and weeks I wandered aimlessly in this valley
I spent many days walking around the valley with no purpose.
Seeking answers to the many questions
I was looking for answers to the many thoughts in my head.
That raced through my fevered mind
My mind was racing with many thoughts, ideas and questions.
Where was everyone
I wondered where everyone had gone.
Why the white bones
I questioned the cause of the white bones.
The dry wells
I wondered why the wells were dry and had no water.
The barren valley where people must have lived and died
I couldn't understand why people would choose to live in such an undeveloped area.
Finally I could go no farther
Eventually, I reached the end of my journey.
My food and water gone
I had exhausted my resources and had no food or water.
I sat down and buried my face in my hands
I sat down and buried my face in my hands.
And resting thus, I learned the secret
While resting, I learned the mystery of the Shifting, whispering sands.
Of the Shifting, whispering sands
This is my first time mentioning the mystery of the sands.
How I managed to escape from the valley I do not know
The method of my escape from the valley remains unknown to me.
But now to pay my final debt for being spared
I need to share what I learned as a final repayal for surviving.
I must tell you what I learned out on the desert
I will share my findings that I discovered in the desert.
When the day is awfully quiet
During quiet times in the day.
And the breeze seems not to blow
When there is a calm breeze
One would think the sand was resting
At first glance, one might assume the sand is still.
But you'll find this is not so
This is not the case.
It is whispering, softly whispering
The sand makes a barely audible noise.
As it slowly moves along
While making the whispering noise, the sand moves.
And for those who stop and listen
Those who pay closer attention will hear it.
It will sing this mournful song
The whispering noise will produce a melancholic tune.
Of sidewinders and the horn toads
The sand whispers about desert animals such as the sidewinder snake and horn toads.
Of the thorny chaparral
The sand whispers about the harsh, thorny brush in the desert area.
Endless sunny days and moonlit nights
The sand whispers about the endless appearance of the sun and moon in the desert.
The coyotes lonely yell
The sand whispers about the lonely sound of coyotes echoing through the valley.
Of the stars seem you could tough them
The sand whispers about the starry sky above the desert and the idea of reaching them.
As you lay and gaze on high
While laying and looking up.
At the heavens where we're hoping
Where we hope to go when we die.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
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