by Kevin Griffin
[The song was written as a playful way to expose kids to Buddhdharma.]
[“Don’t know” is the expression used by the Zen Master
Soen Sanim to remind us that all of life is unpredictable and that we should
pay very close attention all the time.]
Don’t know,
Don’t know if there’s a little green man eatin’ cheese up on the moon
[I conflate green cheese and the man on the moon. Kids understand.]
Don’t know
Don’t know if there’s a heaven somewhere my guitars are all in tune
[I wanted to talk about heaven, and thought, “what’s
heaven for a guitar player?” This sums it up.]
Don’t know
Don’t know if there’s a God or a Jesus or even a Spider Man
[My five year old daughter is confused about God and
Jesus. She understands Spider Man.]
Don’t know
Don’t know what’s over the rainbow or under the garbage can
[Judy Garland, meet the squirmy squishy bugs.]
All I know’s I’m alive and breathin’ and makin’ up this song…
Don’t know my left from right, but I know my right from wrong
Great Way
[This verse is based on the sutra “Verses for the Faith
Mind,” by the Third Zen Patriarch.]
Great Way’s not really that hard if you’ll eat any flavor lifesaver
[The first line of the sutra says, “The Great Way is not
difficult for those who have no preferences.” I just brought it down to
something understandable.]
Great Way
Great Way is just the same for the saint and the sinner and the savior
[An attempt to show that the difficulties and joys of
life don’t discriminate.]
Great Way
Great Way to get a wine stain out a little salt and a dab of club soda
[True cleaning tips. I wanted to change directions with
this line.]
Great Way
Great Way to rhyme with that is the Star Wars character Yoda
[I couldn’t come up with a rhyme, so then I thought I’d
just go “meta-lyric.”]
Great Way
Great Way’s lined with potholes, hairpin turns, and dead ends
Great Way
No doubt that along the way you’re gonna need some great friends
Don’t know
Don’t know what I should have for lunch a chicken or an egg
[The age old conundrum. Which to eat first…]
Don’t know
Don’t know if you can get to nirvana by standing on one leg
[I’ve
heard that certain yogis in India believe they can get enlightened by standing
on one leg for their whole life. Don’t know…]
Don’t know
Don’t know if I should blame Dr Spock, my parents, or the babysitter
[Why am I so screwed up?]
Don’t know
Don’t know if the American League should drop the designated hitter
[I’m a big baseball fan, and frankly, I like the offense
the DH gives, but when Clemens starts beaning people, then I begin to wonder…]
All I know’s I’m alive and strummin’ and waitin’ for this song
Don’t know how short it’s gonna be, but I know it won’t be long
[I’m going to have to remove the ending before Michael
Jackson sues me. Doesn’t he own all the rights to the Beatles songs?]