Instrumental Backing Tracks of the Gods (An Occasional Series): Special Meaning of the Universe Edition

From 1966, and what I think is (on balance) the best album The Byrds made in their classic line-up (Gene Clark is actually on it, despite not being in the cover photo) please enjoy what seems to be the final instrumental take of Roger McGuinn's fabulous not-an-acid song "5D."









Sing along, won't you?

Oh, how is it that I could come out to you,

And be still floatin',

And never hit bottom but keep falling through,

Just relaxed and paying attention?



All my two-dimensional boundaries were gone,

I had lost to them badly,

I saw that world crumble and thought I was dead,

But I found my senses still working.



And as I continued to drop through the hole,

I found all surrounding,

To show me that joy innocently is,

Just be quiet and feel it around you.



[Bridge]

And I opened my heart to the whole universe,

And I found it was loving,

And I saw the great blunder my teachers had made,

Scientific delirium madness.



I will keep falling as long as I live,

Ah, without ending,

And I will remember the place that is now,

That has ended before the beginning ...



Oh, how is it that I could come out to you,

And be still floatin',

And never hit bottom but keep falling through,

Just relaxed and paying attention?

The actual single/album track fades out about fifteen seconds earlier than this, and of course this lacks Van Dyke Parks' brilliant Hammond organ work on the ending (not to mention the inimitable Byrds harmonies).



But I think this is pretty damn impressive in its own right, if only for the wonderfully live immediacy of the thing. And if anybody ever tells me again that drummer Mike Clarke was the weak link in this band, I swear to God I'm gonna take a hostage.