There's Joy in the Heavens
June 19, 2022
By Swami Kriyananda, performed in the Temple of Light at Ananda Village, June 19th 2022.
Lyrics
There’s joy in the heavens,
A smile on the mountains,
And melody sings everywhere.
The flowers are all laughing
To welcome the morning;
Your soul is as free as the air.
Leave home in the sunshine:
Dance through a meadow—
Or sit by a stream and just be.
The lilt of the water
Will gather your worries
And carry them down to the sea.
Men hunger for freedom,
But don’t see their dungeon
Is only the thought that they’re bound!
Desires are their shackles:
The hope that tomorrow
The doorway to joy will be found.
There’s joy all around us!
Why wait till tomorrow?
We’ve only this moment to live.
A heaven within us
Is ours for the finding,
A freedom no riches can give!
Comment by Swami Kriyananda: "This song had an interesting genesis. I was driving my car through a blinding rainstorm, and could hardly see the road fifty feet ahead of me. I was intensely frustrated, for there was somewhere I was supposed to reach at a certain time. All at once I thought, “Why wish conditions were other than they are? If I can’t have good weather outside, I’ll just create it inside.” And then this song came to me. I wrote it out on a piece of paper that happened to be on the seat next to me—hoping no traffic policeman would stop me for any erratic driving!" (A Tale of Songs, p 250)
