Roger, along with the other Byrds members, was honored with an induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1991.
Wasn
Roger McGuinn Lyrics
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Where the diamond crescent's glowing
And run across the valley
Beneath the sacred mountain
And wander through the forest
Where the trees have leaves of prisms
That break the sight up into colors
That no one know the names of
And when it's time I'll go and lay
Beside the legendary fountain
Till I see her form reflected
In its clear and gentle waters
And if you think I'm ready
You may lead me to the chasm
Where the rivers of our visions
Flow into one another
And I'll stay awhile and wonder
At the mist that they created
And lose myself within it
Cleanse my mind and body
And I know at this moment
As I stand in that cathedral
I will want to dive
Beneath the white cascading water
She may beg and she may plead
And she may argue with her logic
Mention all the things I'll lose
That really have no value
Though I doubt that she will ever
Come to understand my meaning
In the end she'll surely know
I was not born to follow
The lyrics to Roger McGuinn's song 'Wasn't Born to Follow' are a powerful anthem for non-conformists and individuals who yearn for adventure and discovery. The song is an ode to the freedom to explore, to journey to new places, and to experience the beauty of the natural world. The opening lines express the desire to travel to where the 'diamond crescent's glowing' which alludes to the moon and stars, where 'run across the valley beneath the sacred mountain' themes that evoke a sense of escape and the desire to experience something different. As the singer of the song journeys through the forest, the trees become a kaleidoscope of colors, and the misty chasms and fountains take on an otherworldly quality.
The song's third verse is a testament to the transformative power of nature. 'Cleanse my mind and body,' the lyrics say. Loss of self and immersion are what the singer seeks to rediscover and emerge anew. The final verse is a declaration of independence and self-determination. The singer refuses to follow the herd and is comfortable with the fact that others may not understand their pursuit of freedom and discovery. The song's defiant stance echoes the counterculture and anti-war movements of the late 1960s.
Line by Line Meaning
No I'd rather go and journey
I don't want to stay here, I want to go on a journey.
Where the diamond crescent's glowing
I want to go where I can see beautiful things.
And run across the valley
I want to run and be free.
Beneath the sacred mountain
I want to go where I can feel small in the presence of something greater.
And wander through the forest
I want to explore the natural world.
Where the trees have leaves of prisms
I want to see trees with leaves that break light into beautiful colors.
That break the sight up into colors
I want to see things in new, beautiful ways.
That no one know the names of
I want to experience things that are beyond words and names.
And when it's time I'll go and lay
When it's time, I'll rest.
Beside the legendary fountain
I want to be near a fountain that is famous and well-known.
Till I see her form reflected
I will stay there until I can see my own reflection in the water.
In its clear and gentle waters
I want to be near water that is calm and peaceful.
And if you think I'm ready
If you think I am prepared.
You may lead me to the chasm
You can take me to a deep and narrow opening in the earth.
Where the rivers of our visions
Where our imaginations meet and combine.
Flow into one another
Come together and become one thing.
And I'll stay awhile and wonder
I'll stay and be amazed.
At the mist that they created
At the fog or haze that our imaginations created.
And lose myself within it
Become completely immersed in it.
Cleanse my mind and body
Purify my thoughts and refresh myself.
And I know at this moment
I am aware right now.
As I stand in that cathedral
As I stand in that place of great importance.
I will want to dive
I will strongly desire to go down (into the water).
Beneath the white cascading water
Underneath the water that falls down like a waterfall.
She may beg and she may plead
Someone might beg and plead with me.
And she may argue with her logic
And she might use reason to try and convince me otherwise.
Mention all the things I'll lose
Tell me all the things I will miss or lose out on.
That really have no value
Things that aren't truly valuable or important.
Though I doubt that she will ever
I don't think she will ever.
Come to understand my meaning
Truly comprehend what I mean.
In the end she'll surely know
Ultimately, she will understand.
I was not born to follow
I was not meant to be a follower, but a free spirit.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Carole King, Gerry Goffin
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@nataliacarolina97
Oh I'd rather go and journey where the diamond crest is flowing
And run across the valley beneath the sacred mountain
And wander through the forest, where the trees have leaves of prisms
And break the light in colors that no one knows the names of
And when it's time I'll go and wait beside a legendary fountain
Till I see your form reflected in its clear and jeweled waters
And if you think I'm ready, you may lead me to the chasm
Where the rivers of our vision flow into one another
I will want to dive beneath the white cascading waters
She may beg, she may plead, she may argue with her logic
And mention all the things I'll lose
That really have no value in the end she will surely know
I wasn't born to follow.
@BixLives32
I recall riding on a thought when I was 15. It was a nice vision of a beautiful country with decent, hospitable and charitable people. There were lots of green things and calm and kind minds.
This thought had been interrupted many times, but never ceased despite much evil human perfidy from the previous generation. Eventually, a bad afternoon at Kent State University interrupted my thought forever. The thought was never to return. I no longer had wheels to ride. I was stranded.
Much later, I read that most of our Founding Fathers assumed that there would be revolutions every 50 years or so...
What happened to the great promise of my generation? This was no ordinary time. Why did the gentle and revolutionary people of my generation become full of greed and hate?
I am now old, befuddled, diseased and do not know what went wrong. My embarrassment for what my generation has done to the Earth and its beings is complete and overwhelming. My shame is great.
I guess I just wasn't made for these times.
@mazdamps
Loved this "movie" more than I can say!
This track in particular, and will never forget, leaving the cinema and it had snowed!
Bad enough, but just to make it worse, my car was overheating, and not helped by the climb back to my then, GF's house!
Had to stop (not sure how many times) and fill the rad with snow!
Happy, happy days....x
@Stoclet
Easy Rider changed us all back in the sixties. Those were great days!
@justmusic8166
Maybe you weren't ready to follow
@reneg.1620
True, even i was born in 1985! 😀😊😄 Such a great century!
@jman1957
Was the Best of times!!
@franklinj1038
Amen and were better humans for IT
@helenakatic1690
I didn't live back then but I agree with you completely😀
@ariannagermini8515
I lost my dad to lung cancer exactly one week ago. He was a Harley Davidson biker in the 60s, listening to The Byrds, Hendrix, Steppenwolf, you name it. When I was a kid he made me watch Easy Rider and it became our film, and this became our song. When he used to take me on his Heritage Springer, we'd pretend we were Peter Fonda and Dennis Hopper, biking around the deserted roads of Tuscany in wild nature. On his death bed, I sang him this song. I miss him like crazy and I am thankful he introduced me to this movement, this music and the love for Harley Davidson.
@midevilmayhem7380
Cancer can catch a boat to fuckoffity land took my grandpa.
@davesouth4874
Arianna Germini I hope you're doing okay just want you to know we're all in this together I lost my dad many years ago cancer my mom as well☹
@kilts4u2
At least you had a dad to share those memories with. My father left the world when I was only 7. You grow up fast without a role model or a teacher. I'm glad you remember your dad so fondly.