(woman) Prairie Musicians is made possible by The Minnesota Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund and the citizens of Minnesota and by the members of Prairie Public.

[acoustic guitar & stomp box percussion play in bright folk rhythm] ♪ (woman) ♪ Eyes are heavy but I just can't sleep ♪ ♪ ♪ Never did me good tryin' to count all them sheep ♪ ♪ ♪ Overactive brain but it ain't that deep ♪ ♪ ♪ Sure do like the fire but I can't stand the heat ♪ ♪ ♪ Oh oh oh ♪ ♪ ♪ Whoa oh oh ♪ ♪ ♪ Came in hot like an early summer breeze ♪ ♪ ♪ Thinking of you baby's got me weak in the knees ♪ ♪ ♪ Sweet like honey way up in the trees ♪ ♪ ♪ Wishing we were living like the birds and the bees ♪ ♪ ♪ Oh oh oh ♪ ♪ ♪ Oh oh oh ♪ ♪ ♪ What goes up must come down ♪ ♪ Save me from this old ghost town ♪ ♪ Drive out towards the setting sun ♪ ♪ Come on now we're on the run ♪ ♪ Winding road don't be afraid ♪ ♪ We ain't got one bill to pay ♪ ♪ Oh oh oh ♪ [guitar solo] ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ Look at us now we're wild and free ♪ ♪ ♪ Making our music endlessly ♪ ♪ ♪ Hey now baby can you see ♪ ♪ ♪ We're living our lives like the birds and the bees ♪ ♪ ♪ Oh oh oh ♪ ♪ ♪ Whoa oh oh ♪ ♪ ♪ What goes up must come down ♪ ♪ Save me from this old ghost town ♪ ♪ Drive out towards the setting sun ♪ ♪ Come on now we're on the run ♪ ♪ Winding road don't be afraid ♪ ♪ We ain't got one bill to pay ♪ ♪ Oh oh oh ♪ ♪ ♪ Whoa oh oh ♪ ♪ ♪ Oh oh oh ♪ ♪ ♪ Oh oh ♪ ♪ Oh ♪ Hi, I'm Rob Wheeler, my partner Jill Burkes and I make up the band MorningBird, and we live in Hibbing, Minnesota.

We're here today to give you our organic folk music.

Over the years some of my musical influences have all been from some of the the '70s folk music that I listened to-- The Grateful Dead.

Elvis Presley had some great guitar players, Tom Petty, Johnny Cash, so we are folk musicians, but we delve into a little Americana jam as well.

[guitar intro by Rob] ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ A raven's caw ♪ ♪ Echoing inside my mind ♪ ♪ ♪ Signaling imminent unveiling ♪ ♪ Subconscious desires ♪ ♪ ♪ Bathed in mystique ♪ ♪ Embodying the darkness and the light ♪ ♪ ♪ Now I'm broken inside but I'll grow my wings ♪ ♪ And I will take flight ♪ ♪ ♪ It's time fly away ♪ ♪ That's the thing about wild birds ♪ ♪ They can never be caged ♪ ♪ I wish you hadn't let us down ♪ ♪ I had big dreams on the stage ♪ ♪ [guitar solo] ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ Autumn's back ♪ ♪ ♪ The geese are in flight ♪ ♪ Come to think of it ♪ ♪ There hasn't been a hummingbird in sight ♪ ♪ ♪ You left me here ♪ ♪ All alone our last words were a fight ♪ ♪ ♪ Now I'm broken inside but I'll grow my wings ♪ ♪ And I will take flight ♪ ♪ ♪ It's time fly away ♪ ♪ That's the thing about wild birds ♪ ♪ They can never be caged ♪ ♪ I wish you hadn't let us down ♪ ♪ I had big dreams on the stage ♪ ♪ [guitar solo] ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ The harvest moon ♪ ♪ Lunar eclipse is tonight ♪ ♪ I'm releasing the spell letting go ♪ ♪ Wounds were blocking my sight ♪ ♪ ♪ I'll just within ♪ ♪ Old shadows burn bright ♪ ♪ ♪ Hell I welcome the change open heart ♪ ♪ Now my wings taking flight ♪ ♪ ♪ It's time fly away ♪ ♪ That's the thing about wild birds ♪ ♪ They can never be caged ♪ ♪ I wish you hadn't let us down ♪ ♪ I had big dreams on the stage ♪ ♪ ♪ I wish you hadn't let us down ♪ ♪ I had big dreams on the stage ♪ ♪ [Rob plays guitar & harmonica] [playing in waltz time] ♪ ♪ [instruments only; no vocals] [violin plays lead] ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ [guitar plays lead] ♪ ♪ ♪ [violin plays lead accompanied by guitar & harmonica] [instruments only; no vocals] ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ Hi, I'm Jill Burkes, the other half of MorningBird.

Rob and I met in 2017 and started playing some music together, and we really took it to a professional level in 2020, and we quit our 9 to 5, and our favorite thing is to be hippies on the road and play music anywhere music is to be heard.

[laughs] When we play our music, for me, the greatest gift is if anybody feels a little bit better after tuning in to our music or hearing our songs.

The goal is to just raise vibration.

It makes our vibration higher.

That's our hope for people that listen to our music-- you just walk away feelin' a little bit brighter with your day.

[playing in bright folk rhythm accompanied by Rob's stomp box percussion] ♪ ♪ Well old men politicians ♪ ♪ Not my voice ♪ ♪ Old men politicians ♪ ♪ We need a new choice there's war in other countries ♪ ♪ I bet you're making money ♪ ♪ Corrupt police and riot in the streets ♪ ♪ And I don't think it's funny ♪ [harmonica solo] ♪ ♪ Well children in school what are we teaching them ♪ ♪ If we want peace we got to change their curriculum ♪ ♪ Life lost what's the cost you're all worried about inflation ♪ ♪ What's the price at the gas station ♪ ♪ Has it hit 5 bucks ♪ ♪ All the news on TV propaganda sucks ♪ ♪ ♪ Well it's time ♪ ♪ Time for a change ♪ ♪ ♪ Well it's time ♪ ♪ Time that we changed the game ♪ ♪ ♪ What we need is modern thinkers ♪ ♪ Psychedelic linkers ayahuasca drinkers ♪ ♪ ♪ Well take us to our hearts don't be afraid ♪ ♪ Show us what we need to know ♪ ♪ There's more of us than of them ♪ ♪ Why do they think they're in control ♪ ♪ Well billboards and TV ♪ ♪ And the radio ♪ ♪ All agendas and programming ♪ ♪ Slowly erasing your soul ♪ ♪ ♪ I got wrinkles on my face ♪ ♪ I feel like I'm getting old ♪ ♪ One thing that I know for sure ♪ ♪ I don't like doing what I'm told ♪ ♪ I don't wanna call you out and tell you your not right ♪ ♪ But if you don't listen we're going to stand up and ♪ ♪ Love ♪ That's right.

♪ It's time ♪ ♪ Time for a change ♪ ♪ ♪ Well it's time ♪ ♪ Time that we changed the game ♪ [harmonica solo] ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ [guitar solo by Rob] ♪ ♪ It don't matter what side we're on we're all in this together ♪ ♪ You'd think by now we'd be smart enough to know how to act better ♪ ♪ Corporation rakin' money makin' taxation ♪ ♪ Back breakin' bellyachin' ♪ ♪ Just all thinkin' it's a piece of steak that it's great ♪ ♪ ♪ Well it's time time ♪ ♪ For a change ♪ ♪ ♪ It's time ♪ ♪ Time ♪ ♪ That we changed the game ♪ ♪ Well it's time ♪ ♪ Time ♪ ♪ For a ♪ ♪ Change ♪ "The Wind" was inspired by a trip we had to New Mexico, and we saw a lot of ruins, and one of the most profound things to me was we saw a Catholic church that was built by the local natives at the time.

It just blew my mind, the story of colonization basically.

We're from Hibbing, Minnesota, Bob Dylan's from Hibbing, and he talks about "Blowin' in the Wind," so I like the idea of adding the wind still blows because with all the things in life sometimes we repeat ourselves in certain ways, and the wind just keeps blowin'.

[playing in a slow country-swing rhythm accompanied by Rob's stomp box percussion] [Rob plays lead] ♪ ♪ Land of America home of the free ♪ ♪ ♪ A myth fed to all generationally ♪ ♪ ♪ Since a young kid never sat well with me ♪ ♪ ♪ The winners of war they write our history ♪ ♪ ♪ Division and war for financial gain ♪ ♪ ♪ They'll take all your land then they'll call you insane ♪ ♪ ♪ Smash what is sacred it's all done in vain ♪ ♪ ♪ Rubble and sadness all that remains ♪ ♪ ♪ Wind ♪ ♪ Still blows ♪ ♪ ♪ Wind ♪ ♪ Still blows ♪ ♪ ♪ Wind ♪ ♪ Still blows ♪ ♪ ♪ Wind ♪ ♪ Wind ♪ ♪ [guitar solo by Rob] ♪ ♪ Corruption between the state and the church ♪ ♪ ♪ No matter the cost drink His blood cure your thirst ♪ ♪ ♪ Your heathen souls forever damned and be cursed ♪ ♪ ♪ Unless you carry His cross and His leather bound verse ♪ ♪ ♪ Wind ♪ ♪ Still blows ♪ ♪ ♪ Wind ♪ ♪ Still blows ♪ ♪ ♪ Wind ♪ ♪ Still blows ♪ ♪ ♪ Wind ♪ ♪ Wind ♪ [guitar solo] ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ It's still bought and sold the American dream ♪ ♪ ♪ White male power corruption and schemes ♪ ♪ ♪ The rich getting richer ♪ ♪ You work and scream ♪ ♪ ♪ We're Forced to pay taxes outdated regimes ♪ ♪ ♪ Wind ♪ ♪ Still blows ♪ ♪ ♪ Wind ♪ ♪ Still blows ♪ ♪ ♪ Wind ♪ ♪ Still blows ♪ ♪ ♪ Wind ♪ ♪ Wind ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ [playing in lively folk-dance rhythm] [Jill plays the melody] ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ [instruments only; no vocals] ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ [Rob plays stomp box percussion] ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ [instruments only; no vocals] ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ [guitar intro] ♪ [guitar intro] ♪ [playing in bright folk-country rhythm; Rob also plays stomp box percussion] ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ Mother don't you stop prayin' ♪ ♪ Father keep right on prayin' ♪ ♪ Now don't you stop prayin' ♪ ♪ Before you know your whole world is all gone ♪ ♪ You better keep your lamps ♪ ♪ Trimmed and burning ♪ ♪ Keep your lamps trimmed and burning ♪ ♪ Keep your lamps trimmed and burning ♪ ♪ Before you know your whole world is all gone ♪ [Rob guitar solo] ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ Sister ♪ ♪ Don't you stop prayin' ♪ ♪ Brother ♪ ♪ Keep right on prayin' ♪ ♪ ♪ Don't you stop prayin' ♪ ♪ Before you know your whole world is all gone ♪ ♪ You better keep your lamps trimmed and burning ♪ ♪ Keep your lamps trimmed and burning ♪ ♪ Keep your lamps trimmed and burning ♪ ♪ Before you know your whole world is all gone ♪ [guitar solo] ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ Mother ♪ ♪ Don't you stop prayin' ♪ ♪ Father keep right on prayin' ♪ Yeah.

♪ Don't you stop prayin' ♪ ♪ Before you know your whole world is all gone ♪ ♪ You better keep your lamps trimmed and burning ♪ ♪ Keep your lamps trimmed and burning ♪ ♪ You better keep your lamps trimmed and burning ♪ ♪ Before you know your whole world is all gone ♪ ♪ Before you know your whole world is all gone ♪ [violin solo] ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ (woman) Prairie Musicians is made possible by the Minnesota Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund and the citizens of Minnesota and by the members of Prairie Public.