Here’s another song mostly written back in my 20s. Originally a folk song, I sang this song for a couple of decades whenever I would perform, and even sang it at my father’s funeral.

The original idea for the song came from a book of the same name written by Baba Ram Dass who was an American Guru and a wonderfully wise man who I followed back when I was exploring many of the world’s great religions. Baba Ram Dass was originally Richard Alpert, who along with Timothy Leary, both Harvard professors, conducted experimental classes with students exploring the new psychedelic drug, LSD. Timothy Leary became one of the leaders of the psychedelic movement back then. Richard Alpert, his fellow teaching partner, wanting to find out how he could experience the kind of illuminating high he experienced with the drug, but without using the drug, decided to go to the Far East for a decade and study with the gurus. He came home Baba Ram Dass and had a tremendous following by my generation for the next 4–5 decades.

At the time, I read all his books and whenever he came to NYC to lecture, I would be sure not to miss him. His talks to thousands were always full of Truth, beautifully presented and kept his audience laughing and inspired throughout. He was a gift to my generation.

The Hippie Era, for all its weirdness, was also a sincere attempt to love, to love our fellow man, to go through life loving, to love unqualified. Unfortunately, the era was drug based, and today, many look back on that time and laugh at its peculiarities, its clothes, its attitudes, its long hair, its sexual freedoms, etc. But for all of its psychedelic kookiness, it was, for many, a deep exploration into the power of Love. I lived that time. I performed the lead in the musical Hair on Broadway. I was at the Woodstock Festival for the three days in the rain and watched a half a million young people make a tremendous impact on the world.

So this was an important song in my life. I performed it for years in concerts, on television, and often tried to somehow fit it into the musicals that I wrote. It never got recorded, but it certainly was a song of my generation.

When I decided to finally record it for this album, I found, musically, a way of bringing it to the world as something beyond a folk song. Buy the album when it’s released and you’ll see what I mean. :o)

The Only Dance There Is

Music and Lyrics by Peter Link

Old friend won’t you please surrender
And let the simple will of life be done
Put all your money on your sympathy to love
It’s the only dance there is

Old friend won’t you live for the moment
And leave your hollow fancies far behind
Build all your castles for an ever-changing world
Cause it’s the only dance there is

Let us be to all a brother
In spite of all our fears
Let us trust each one another
Let us spill our tears and watch them falling
As we laugh them from our lives
Let us find in time a brighter dream

Old friend won’t you trust in the moment
And even when your dreams fall apart
Plan all your life around the love that’s in your heart
Cause it’s the only dance there is

Let us live for one another
Let us heed the call
All are sisters all are brothers
The writing’s on the wall
To let the love all around us touch our lives
Let us live the life we’ve always dreamed

Old friend won’t you look all around you
And see this troubled world in all its strife
Let shine your beauty in the glory of your life
Cause it’s the only chance there is
It’s the only chance there is
It’s the only chance there is
It’s the only dance there is