Laura Nyro – ‘Beads of Sweat’ (1970)

From Laura Nyro’s fourth album ‘Christmas and the Beads of Sweat’. Duane Allman provides guitar on this track.

Cold jade wind
not an angel in the sky
just cold jade restless wind
somethin’s coming, I know
to devastate
my soul

I pricked my fingers
on the thorns
and this rain is a’rainin’ hard
This sky’s gonna beckon Mariah
to match my soul
rain in the river
rain in the river
rain on the river banks
down my neck
beads of sweat

Rain on the highway
running clear across New York
a windsong through the barren trees
wild lavender heather
by the railroad sways
Listen to the wailin’
of the rain in the river
rain on the river banks
Roll, roll
river rock his soul
she’s calling you
rainclouds
rainclouds
Roll, roll
river rock his soul
she’s calling you
rainclouds
rainclouds
down his neck
down his neck
down his neck
beads of
beads of
beads of
beads of sweat

five boys standing
on the banks of the river
waiting for the virgin snow
searching for a miracle
a pearl in an oyster
and we all looked out to God
although he is the color of the wind
Listen to the wailing
of the rain in the river
rain on the river banks

Duration : 0:4:51


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25 Responses to “Laura Nyro – ‘Beads of Sweat’ (1970)”

  • TheReach1 says:

    I agree..who could …
    I agree..who could ever replace her soulful sound………no one could get very close to that sound…..

  • RamonaFromPomona says:

    Her vocal range and …
    Her vocal range and lyrics……..is WOW!!!!!!Where is her backup band today I wonder….All her music soul….and the beat the beat the beat…

  • Elyscomin says:

    Thank you …
    Thank you CrescentNoon and all others who make these videos and post Laura’s music. I am a computer idiot and haven’t a clue on how to do it, but I am so grateful to those who do. When asked my opinion of the top songwriters of, and since “my time”, it is easy to answer: Lennon & McCartney and Laura, not neccesarily in that order.

  • aquamoon22 says:

    soars high above …
    soars high above all others – without peer or equal – positively sublime!!!!

  • Plutonium57 says:

    What a great singer …
    What a great singer. And nice photo montage here. She and the Band on the same bill at Berkeley–what a great night that must have been…

  • regangold says:

    Laura, you were and …
    Laura, you were and are still my inspiration. This song is from one of the most important albums ever recorded. We miss you. Thanks to all who have posted her music.

  • kdd3051 says:

    could someone …
    could someone download (from the album “Christmas & the beads of sweat” the songs: Blackpatch, Been on a Train, & Brown Earth. I would but I don’t know how, thank you to whomever in advance.

  • tigerjonn says:

    hahaha…hmm,.. i …
    hahaha…hmm,.. i was having a discussion about music and this interesting debate formed between couple of us….

    Laura Nyro vs Nina Simnone…

  • toes41852 says:

    Agreed—–it …
    Agreed—–it changed my life in 1970, and still does.

  • chunter5100 says:

    To me, Laura Nyro …
    To me, Laura Nyro is the best singer i have ever heard..period..she affected my life so deeply I have never gotten over her…but she she not only affected my life, she affected all of my friends, who were pretty heavy rockers at the time, we were into Jimi Hendrix, Led Zepplin, Deep Purple, and her….

  • jackhillty says:

    someone please post …
    someone please post “map to the treasure” the song which preceeds this one – the most orgasmic piece of piano playing ever recorded

  • JVYT1 says:

    Laura Nyro, Duane …
    Laura Nyro, Duane Allman…am I in heaven?

  • truckdaddy3 says:

    I feel like an …
    I feel like an idiot. I consider myself a big music fan, particularly 60’s and 70’s music, and yet I never knew that Laura Nyro wrote so many songs that were a formative part of my youth, much less performed them. I’ve always said that Karen Carpenter had the most beautiful female voice I’d ever heard, but after listening to this woman sing I honestly must say I have to re-evaluate. I close my eyes and listen and it literally makes me feel like I’m ten years old again. How amazing!

  • JSWren says:

    Fantastic fantastic …
    Fantastic fantastic fantastic album this is from. Get it and weep tears of joy.

  • AlaskanWildernessMan says:

    Amazing! Love her …
    Amazing! Love her voice!

  • Toyboy789 says:

    There will only …
    There will only ever be one Laura Nyro . . .

  • MrDibly says:

    not an angel in the …
    not an angel in the sky…
    just cold jade restless wind…

  • popiel52 says:

    sorry for …
    sorry for misspelling your name Jimi.

  • popiel52 says:

    she was never a …
    she was never a girl and wasn’t for this new millenia.

    Her freak flag will forever wave.
    I never saw a difference between her and Jimmi Hendrix.

  • NYNYMatt says:

    Referencing what …
    Referencing what ttoflea said below about Laura not being able to remain on solid earth, on the brown earth: I am a member of what used to be called her Tribe. I lived alongside her in this city and loved her from back on the Verve days.
    I truly do not know how she could have endured 11 September or the bloody invasions of Bush’s wars. I have missed her every day since April/96 but there is some sort of fateful aspect about her having not reached the second millenia.
    We miss you, Laura Nyro.

  • takiakitsoujie says:

    she is a goddess …
    she is a goddess true mean

  • crazystarwarsguy1006 says:

    What a glorious girl
    What a glorious girl

  • ttoflea says:

    so beautiful, …
    so beautiful, timeless.. poet goddess

    sometimes i think she just had too much soul to remain captive here on god’s brown earth..

    her soul resoundant echoes through the canyons of my mind, as i often hear her songs reverberating through the canyons of the city, stirring souls and shaking the heavens above..

  • popiel52 says:

    Drop 500 mics and …
    Drop 500 mics and listen to Eli and the the 13 Confessions.
    You won’t be the same, I wasn’t.
    I wish she and Jimi collaberated.

  • mfbinc says:

    what a great song, …
    what a great song, duane allman’s guitar and her piano playing match perfectly…..

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