GARDEN OF EDEN and LAST LONELY EAGLE by New Riders of the Purple Sage, Album: New Riders of the Purple Sage 1971

HEY LOOK IN THE AIR
THERE’S SMOKE FILLIN’ EVERYWHERE
AND HEY, LOOK ON THE GROUND
THERE’S BLOOD SPILLING ALL AROUND

CHORUS:
WE LIVE IN THE GARDEN OF EDEN, YEAH
DON’T KNOW WHY WE WANT TO TEAR
THE WHOLE THING TO THE GROUND
WE LIVE IN THE GARDEN OF EDEN, YEAH
DON’T KNOW WHY WE WANT TO TEAR
THE WHOLE THING DOWN

HEY LOOK AT THE GREEN, GREEN TREE
IT AIN’T QUITE AS GREEN GREEN AS IT USED TO BE
AND HEY, LOOK AT THE COOL CLEAR WATER
IT AIN’T QUITE AS COOL AND CLEAR
AS IT OUGHT TO BE, AND

CHORUS:
WE LIVE IN THE GARDEN OF EDEN, YEAH
DON’T KNOW WHY WE WANT TO TEAR
THE WHOLE THING TO THE GROUND
WE LIVE IN THE GARDEN OF EDEN, YEAH
DON’T KNOW WHY WE WANT TO TEAR
THE WHOLE THING DOWN

HEY LOOK AT THE PEOPLE
SOMETIMES WE FORGET
THAT WE’RE JUST PEOPLE
AND WE’RE FALLING HEAD OVER HEELS
‘CAUSE ALL OF US FORGET QUITE HOW TO FEEL

WE LIVE IN THE GARDEN OF EDEN, YEAH
DON’T KNOW WHY WE WANT TO TEAR
THE WHOLE THING TO THE GROUND
WE LIVE IN THE GARDEN OF EDEN, YEAH
DON’T KNOW WHY WE WANT TO TEAR
THE WHOLE THING DOWN


This song is ironic: people believe that they create gardens of Eden, but in fact they minimize nature, they pollute the air and water, and generally they affect their own lives and their piece of mind


IF YOU GO DOWN ROUND THE BEND IN THE RIVER
YOU’RE GONNA FIND A FEW CHANGES
BEEN GOING DOWN THERE
‘CAUSE THE PEOPLE WHO LIVE
ROUND THE BEND IN THE RIVER
HAVE FORGOTTEN THEIR DREAMS
AND THEY’VE CUT OFF THEIR HAIR

CHORUS:
AND TAKE A LAST, FLYING LOOK
AT THE LAST LONELY EAGLE
HE’S SOARING THE LENGTH OF THE LAND
SHED A TEAR FOR THE FATE
OF THE LAST LONELY EAGLE
FOR YOU KNOW THAT HE NEVER WILL LAND

IF YOU GO DOWN WHERE THE LIGHTS
PUSH THE NIGHTTIME
BACK FAR ENOUGH SO YOU CAN’T FEEL THE FEAR
REMEMBER THE BOY WHO YOU LEFT ON THE MOUNTAIN
WHO’S SITTING ALONE WITH THE STARS AND HIS TEARS

CHORUS

IF YOU GO DOWN TO THE GAS-POWERED FLATLAND
WHERE MOST OF THE PEOPLE JUST THINK
THAT THEY’RE FREE
REMEMBER THE PEACE THAT YOU HAD
ON THE MOUNTAIN
COME BACK TO THE LOVE THAT YOU HAD HERE WITH ME

CHORUS

TAG:
FOR YOU KNOW THAT HE NEVER WILL LAND

This song is similar with the above but the singer cries for what has been lost through "civilization" and "development". The last eagle will never land on these places. It's symbolic about the loss of the natural spirit, of the indigenous people, of the pure nature. Today, we can add the threat of extincion of the endangered species that are represented by the Bald Eagle.

you can hear these songs in youtube: in youtube:


Garden of eden
Last Lonely Eagle

you can hear two songs from this band, members of which are from Grateful Dead:

http://www.nrpsmusic.com/music/index.html