Forget Your Hexagram
ALSO RELEASED ON: The Belfast Bootlegs, Underground Maneouvers, Live At The Way Inn - 1970
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Version 1: Capitol / Beechwood mix
Note: this track on the collector's edition of Upon This Rock is from a mono radio broadcast tape |
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Version 2 is a partial re-recording of version 1. Musically the mix is possibly slightly different, but a completely different vocal line is used. Lyrically the two versions are almost identical, other than a few incidental words - the Larry Norman mix
Note: the South African Impact LP, Kingsway Right Price cassette and Kingsway CD reverse the stereo image |
Upon This Rock (All non Capitol LP and cassette releases)
Upon This Rock (All CD versions) Survivor (Songs From 1956 To 2000) The Best Of Larry Norman Volume One Instigator |
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Version 3 uses the same recording as version 2, but ends at the end of the second verse
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Version 4 is a live recording, performed with a full band
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lyrics version 1
Forget your hexagram, you'll soon feel fine
Stop looking at the stars
You don't live under the signs
Don't mess with gypsies
Or have your fortune read
Keep your table on the floor
And don't you listen to the dead
You can't a-hitchhike your way to heaven
The devil's closed the roads
You live once and you die once with no
Re-incarnate episodes
You can't hitchhike to heaven
Or get there by just being good
The rules were set down long ago
When the spikes went in the wood
Heaven is in your mind
When love is in your heart
Maybe you'll find the way
But first you have to start
Forget your hexagram, you'll soon feel fine
An' stop looking at the stars
You don't live under the signs
Don't mess with gypsies
Or have your fortune read
Keep your table on the floor
And don't you listen to the dead
You can't hitchhike your way to heaven
The devil's closed the roads
You live once and you die once with no
Re-incarnate episodes
You can't hitchhike to heaven
Or get there by just being good
The rules were set down long ago
When the spikes went in the wood
Stop looking at the stars
You don't live under the signs
Don't mess with gypsies
Or have your fortune read
Keep your table on the floor
And don't you listen to the dead
You can't a-hitchhike your way to heaven
The devil's closed the roads
You live once and you die once with no
Re-incarnate episodes
You can't hitchhike to heaven
Or get there by just being good
The rules were set down long ago
When the spikes went in the wood
Heaven is in your mind
When love is in your heart
Maybe you'll find the way
But first you have to start
Forget your hexagram, you'll soon feel fine
An' stop looking at the stars
You don't live under the signs
Don't mess with gypsies
Or have your fortune read
Keep your table on the floor
And don't you listen to the dead
You can't hitchhike your way to heaven
The devil's closed the roads
You live once and you die once with no
Re-incarnate episodes
You can't hitchhike to heaven
Or get there by just being good
The rules were set down long ago
When the spikes went in the wood
lyrics version 2
Ah forget your hexagram, you'll soon feel fine
Stop looking at the stars
You don't live under the signs
Don't mess with gypsies
Or have your fortune read
Keep the table on the floor
And don't you listen to the dead
You can't hitchhike your way to heaven
The devil's closed the roads
You live once and you die once with no
Re-incarnate episodes
You can't hitchhike to heaven
Or get there by just being good
The rules were set down long ago
When the spikes went in the wood
OK now [Very faintly]
Oh
Heaven is in your mind
When love is in your heart
Maybe you'll find the way
But first you have to start
Forget your hexagram, you'll soon feel fine
Stop looking at the stars
You don't live under the signs
Don't mess with gypsies
Or have your fortune read
Keep your table on the floor
And don't you listen to the dead
You can't hitchhike your way to heaven
The devil's closed the roads
You live once and you die once with no
Re-incarnate episodes
You can't hitchhike to heaven
Or get there by just being good
The rules were set down long ago
When the spikes went in the wood
Stop looking at the stars
You don't live under the signs
Don't mess with gypsies
Or have your fortune read
Keep the table on the floor
And don't you listen to the dead
You can't hitchhike your way to heaven
The devil's closed the roads
You live once and you die once with no
Re-incarnate episodes
You can't hitchhike to heaven
Or get there by just being good
The rules were set down long ago
When the spikes went in the wood
OK now [Very faintly]
Oh
Heaven is in your mind
When love is in your heart
Maybe you'll find the way
But first you have to start
Forget your hexagram, you'll soon feel fine
Stop looking at the stars
You don't live under the signs
Don't mess with gypsies
Or have your fortune read
Keep your table on the floor
And don't you listen to the dead
You can't hitchhike your way to heaven
The devil's closed the roads
You live once and you die once with no
Re-incarnate episodes
You can't hitchhike to heaven
Or get there by just being good
The rules were set down long ago
When the spikes went in the wood
lyrics version 3
Ah forget your hexagram you'll soon feel fine
Stop looking at the stars
You don't live under the signs
Don't mess with gypsies
Or have your fortune read
Keep the table on the floor
And don't you listen to the dead
You can't hitchhike your way to heaven
The devil's closed the roads
You live once and you die once with no
Re-incarnate episodes
You can't hitchhike to heaven
Or get there by just being good
The rules were set down long ago
When the spikes went in the wood
Stop looking at the stars
You don't live under the signs
Don't mess with gypsies
Or have your fortune read
Keep the table on the floor
And don't you listen to the dead
You can't hitchhike your way to heaven
The devil's closed the roads
You live once and you die once with no
Re-incarnate episodes
You can't hitchhike to heaven
Or get there by just being good
The rules were set down long ago
When the spikes went in the wood
lyrics version 4
Forget your hexagram, you'll soon feel fine
Stop looking at the stars
You don't live under the signs
Don't mess with gypsies
And don't you have your fortune read
Y' keep your table on the floor
And don't you listen to the dead
You can't hitchhike your way to heaven
The devil's closed the road
You live once and you die once with no
Re-incarnate episodes
You can't hitchhike to heaven
Or get there by just being good
The rules were set down long ago
When the spikes went in the wood
Heaven is in your mind
When love is in your heart
Maybe you'll find the way
But first you have to start
Yeah
Forget your hexagram, you'll soon feel fine
Stop looking at the stars
You don't live under the signs
Don't mess with gypsies, you don't need 'em
Don't you have your fortune read, yeah yeah
Y' keep your table on the floor
And don't you listen to the dead
Yeah
You can't a-hitchhike your way to heaven
Devil's closed the roads
Hitchhike yeah yeah
You live once and you die once with no
Re-incarnate episodes
Hitchhike to heaven
Or get there by just being good
Were set down long ago
When the spikes went in the wood
Spikes went in the wood
I said alright oh
Stop looking at the stars
You don't live under the signs
Don't mess with gypsies
And don't you have your fortune read
Y' keep your table on the floor
And don't you listen to the dead
You can't hitchhike your way to heaven
The devil's closed the road
You live once and you die once with no
Re-incarnate episodes
You can't hitchhike to heaven
Or get there by just being good
The rules were set down long ago
When the spikes went in the wood
Heaven is in your mind
When love is in your heart
Maybe you'll find the way
But first you have to start
Yeah
Forget your hexagram, you'll soon feel fine
Stop looking at the stars
You don't live under the signs
Don't mess with gypsies, you don't need 'em
Don't you have your fortune read, yeah yeah
Y' keep your table on the floor
And don't you listen to the dead
Yeah
You can't a-hitchhike your way to heaven
Devil's closed the roads
Hitchhike yeah yeah
You live once and you die once with no
Re-incarnate episodes
Hitchhike to heaven
Or get there by just being good
Were set down long ago
When the spikes went in the wood
Spikes went in the wood
I said alright oh
I had known a man who was in bondage to the I Ching and made his decisions based on throwing the coins and reading their symbols. I had met quite a few hippies who were obsessed with their horoscope readings and almost afraid to do anything or make decisions without first "consulting the stars". I wrote this song as a rebuke to all these false religions and superstitions. I wrote the bridge last, after writing all of the verses.