[Intro: acoustic guitar drone, desert wind] [Verse 1] She met a curandero upon the road Between Santa Fe and Albuquerque He found for her a pathway to redemption From alcohol and drug addiction He delved into her soul to find The truth that was trapped so deep inside About a kaftan priest and a policeman And parents who would never listen [Chorus] Maasawi, Maasawi Keeper of the desert ground Maasawi, Maasawi Show me the door to the higher ground [Verse 2: spoken, low and intimate] High above the canyon floor The laurel poet seeks pearls of wisdom More widely read than given credit for But largely remembered as a musician [Pre-Chorus: organ swells] That dividing line in his profession Part human and sometimes lizard king A vision quest on mescaline Creativity and self-destruction [Chorus] Maasawi, Maasawi Keeper of the desert ground Maasawi, Maasawi Show me the door to the higher ground [Instrumental: organ and electric guitar solo, building] [Verse 3] He left his perch on Lookout Mountain Headed westward to the desert sands In search of truth, to find the shaman Among the Hopi, a promised land Looking for a doorway to a new perception [Bridge: drums drop out, whispered] And in an arroyo he found a friend A face revealed by the light of day Tribal elder, mentor, magician Jimsonweed clasped in his hand [Final Chorus: full band, harmonies] Maasawi, Maasawi Keeper of the desert ground Maasawi, Maasawi He gave me a portal to the higher ground [Outro: acoustic drone fades into wind] Higher ground... Higher ground...
