"Man on the Silver Mountain" is the first single by Rainbow and the first track of their debut album, Ritchie Blackmore's Rainbow. Written by guitarist Ritchie Blackmore and singer Ronnie James Dio, this song is, as Dio said, "a semi-religious one, a man on the silver mountain is a kind of God figure everyone is crying out to". This track became one of Rainbow's best-known tracks and was also a live favourite for any Rainbow line-up, and also the band Dio. The words "The man on the silver mountain Ronnie James Dio" are inscribed on his grave.
Rainbow was formed by Ritchie Blackmore in 1975 after he left Deep Purple at the height of their fame. They were instantly successful and released a string of hit albums, with an ever changing line-up, between 1975 and 1983 when Blackmore broke up the group to join the reformed Deep Purple.
This concert from their European tour in 1977 features the line-up responsible for the "Long Live Rock'n'Roll" album released later that year, including vocalist Ronnie James Dio and drummer Cozy Powell. Blackmore had to be smuggled out of Austria after a trouble with the police at a gig two nights earlier and was very late arriving in Munich, all of which seemed to inspire both the band and the audience to create a truly remarkable gig.
Lyrics
I'm a wheel, I'm a wheel
I can roll, I can feel
And you can't stop me turning
'cause I'm the sun, I'm the sun
I can move, I can run
But you'll never stop me burning
Come down with fire
Lift my spirit higher
Someone's screaming my name
Come and make me holy again
I'm the man on the silver mountain
I'm the man on the silver mountain
I'm the day, I'm the day
I can show you the way
And look I'm right beside you
I'm the night, I'm the night
I'm the dark and the light
With eyes that see inside you
Just look at me and listen I'm the man, the man, give you my hand Come down with fire Lift my spirit higher I'm the man on the silver mountain I'm the man on the silver mountain I'm the night the light The black and the white The man on the Silver Mountain
Songwriters: RITCHIE BLACKMORE / RONNIE DIO
Man on the Silver Mountain lyrics © Purple Mgt. Ltd., Owl Music Ltd., Owl Music, Armchair Music, PURPLE (USA) MUSIC INC
