Woodstock

James Taylor · Other Songs - James Taylor

Well, I came upon a child of God

He was walking along the road

And I asked him, tell me, where are you going

This he told me:

Said, I'm going down to Yasgur's farm

Gonna join in a rock and roll band

Got to get back to the land

And set my soul free

{Refrain}

We are stardust

We are golden

We are billion-year-old carbon

And we got to get ourselves

Back to the garden

Well then, can I walk beside you?

I have come to lose the smog

And I feel myself a cog

In something turning

And maybe it's the time of year

Yes, and maybe it's the time of man

And I don't know who I am

But life is for learning

{Refrain twice}

By the time we got to Woodstock

We were half a million strong

And everywhere was a song

And a celebration

And I dreamed I saw the bomber jet planes

Riding shotgun in the sky

Turning into butterflies

Above our nation

We are stardust

We are golden

We are caught in the devil's bargain

And we got to get ourselves

Back to the garden

Woodstock - James Taylor

James Taylor's "Woodstock" stands as a defining anthem of the late 1960s counterculture, capturing the spirit of the 1969 festival and the broader era of social change. Released on his 1971 album *Mud Slide Slim and the Blue Horizon*, the track blends folk-rock with a driving rhythm that propelled it to international success. The song serves as both a tribute to the event and a reflection on the idealism and communal energy that characterized the time. Its enduring popularity highlights Taylor's ability to translate the specific cultural moment into a universal musical statement, cementing his status as a pivotal figure in the transition from folk to rock music.