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| CRAIGIE DHU | INDIGENOUS | REAL ESTATE |
Songs from CRAIGIE DHU (1983)
GIN I WERE A BARON’S HEIR
(Traditional arranged by DOUGIE MACLEAN)
Gin I were a baron’s heir And could I braid wi’
gems your hair And make ye braw as ye are fair Lassie, would ye lo’e me?
And I would take ye tae the toon And show ye braw sichts mony an ane And
busk ye wi’ a silken goon Lassie would ye lo’e me?
Or should ye be content to prove In lowly life
unfading love A heart that nought on earth could move Lassie, would ye
lo’e me? And ere the lavrock wings the sky Say would ye tae the forest
high And work wi’ me sae merrily Lassie, would ye lo’e me?
And when the braw moon glistens o’er Oor wee
bit bield and heathery muir Will ye nay greet that we’re sae puir Lassie,
for I lo’e ye? For I hae naught tae offer ye Nae gowd frae mine, nae pearl
frae sea Nor am I come o’ high degree Lassie, but I lo’e ye!
(Music and Lyrics by DOUGIE MACLEAN)
O the waves crash in and the tide pulls out It’s
an angry sea but there is no doubt That the lighthouse will keep shining
out to warn the lonely sailor And the lightning strikes and the wind cuts
cold Through the sailor’s bones to the sailor’s soul Till there’s nothing
left that he can hold except the rolling ocean
CHORUS But I am ready for the storm, yes sir
ready I am ready for the storm. I’m ready for the storm
Give me mercy for my dreams For every confrontation
seems To tell me what it really means to be this lonely sailor But when
the sky begins to clear And the sun it melts away my fear I’II cry a silent
weary tear for those that need to love me
CHORUS
But distance it is no real friend And time it
takes its time But you will find that in the end it brings you me the lonely
sailor But when you take me by your side You love me warm, you love me
IT FASCINATES ME
(Music and Lyrics by DOUGIE MACLEAN)
All the way across the southern Pacific Lost out on some Brazilian plain
The lady runs like a river The lady she runs just like a hurricane
CHORUS
And it fascinates me when she comes into the light It fascinates me
– she hides when she must stay out of sight
And as the evening goes down And the village it sleeps just like a
child till dawn There she sits by her candles
She paints and she dreams until reality is gone
CHORUS
There’s no reason to fear for the future No chances to dream about
the past Quiet suburbia now it is gone And your freedom it has come at
last
CHORUS
TULLOCHGORUM
(Traditional arranged by DOUGIE MACLEAN)
Come gie’s a song, Montgomery cried and lay your disputes a’ aside What
nonsense is’t for folks to chide for what was done before ’em Let Whig
and Tory a’ agree, Whig and Tory, Whig and Tory Whig and Tory a’ agree
to drop their Whigmigmorum Let Whig and Tory a’ agree to spend this night
in mirth and glee And cheerfu’ sing alang wi’ me the Reel o’ Tullochgorum
O Tullochgorum’s my delight, it gars us a’ in ane unite And ony sumph
that keeps up spite, in conscience, i abhor him Blythe and merry we’II
be a’, blythe and merry, blythe and merry Blythe and merry we’II be a’,
and make a cheerfu’ quorum Blythe and merry we’II be a’, as lang as we
hae a breath to draw And dance till we be like to fa’, the Reel o’ Tullochgorum
Let warldly worms their minds oppress, wi’ fears o’ want and double
cess And sullen sots themselves distress wi’ keeping up decorum Shall we
sae sour and sulky sit? sour and sulky, sour and sulky Sour and sulky shalt
we sit, like auld Philosophorum? Shall we sae sour and sulky sit, with
neither sense, nor mirth, nor wit Nor ever rise to shake a fit to the Reel
o’ Tullochgorum?
May choicest blessings aye attend each honest open-hearted friend And
calm and quiet be his end, and a’ that’s gude watch o’er him May peace
and plenty be his lot, peace and plenty, peace and plenty Peace and plenty
be his lot and dainties a great store o’ them May peace and plenty be his
lot, unstain’d by any vicious spot And may he never want a groat, that’s
fond o’ Tullochgorum
But for the discontented fool, who loves to be oppression’s tool May
envy gnaw his rotten soul and discontent devour him! May dool and sorrow
be his chance, dool and sorrow, dool and sorrow Dool and sorrow be his
chance, and honest souls abhor him May dool and sorrow be his chance and
a’ the ills that come frae France Whae’er he be that winna dance the Reel
o’ Tullochgorum
HIGH FLYING SEAGULL
(Music and Lyrics by DOUGIE MACLEAN)
In these tired and troubled times it’s easy to feel afraid And the angry
young man – and the castles that he’s made tn these long and empty days
it’s easy to feel the fool The angry young man he’II break every rule
CHORUS
She comes to me like a high flying seagull She comes to me like an
eagle, she comes like a swan
In these tired and troubled times it’s easy to feel alone The angry
young man does not know where he’s going In these long and empty days he’II
pull the curtain down And the angry young man he spins round and round
CHORUS
In these troubled times it’s easy to feel confused The angry young
man he will not be abused In these long and empty days he’s going to get
it right The angry Young man – he’s learned how to fight CHORUS
BONNIE BESSIE LOGAN
(Tiaditional arranged by DOUGIE MACLEAN)
Bonnie Bessie Logan she’s handsome, young and fair And O the very wind
that blows it lingers in her hair She’s lithesome, young and lovely as
she comes o’er the lea But Bonnie Bessie Logan was owre young for me
Bonnie Bessie Logan the lads alf lo’e her style And alt come on afore
her tae win her lovin’ smile I fain would be among them, but och that canna
be For Bonnie Bessie Logan was owre young for me
Bonnie Bessie Logan she stole my heart awa’ And when I think upon her
the tears doon softly fa’ For noo I lie wi’ this ain until the day I die
For Bonnie Bessie Logan was owre young for me
SEANAIR’S SONG
(Music and Lyrics by DOUGIE MACLEAN)
From the island of the mountains to the hills across Argyll With a heart
that is so broken with every weary mile And he’ll never hear the whisper
of his Hebridean wind Or the thunder of the ocean as the Minch comes tumbling
in CHORUS He’s holding out, he’s holding out On the frayed edge of time
– on the borderline
And he rests, the tired shepherd, where the gentle Devon flows But
inside there is a yearning that noone really knows And in the quiet of
the evening he would sing his Island songs For the ashes of his fathers
and the children of his sons
CHORUS
These chains have not been broken and our freedom is not won And though
many words are spoken we stilt wander weary on And there are a hundred
questions and a thousand reasons why But our answers they are somewhere
in the Hebridean sky
CHORUS
CALEDONIA
(Music and Lyrics by DOUGIE MACLEAN)
I don’t know if you can see the changes that have come over me In these
last few days I’ve been afraid that I might drift away I’ve been telling
old stories, singing songs that make me think about where I came from And
that’s the reason why I seem so far away today
CHORUS
Let me tell you that I love you and I think about you all the time
Caledonia, you’re calling me and now I’m going home For if I should become
a stranger you know that it would make me more than sad Caledonia’s been
everything I’ve ever had
I have moved and I’ve kept on moving – proved the points that I needed
proving Lost the friends that I needed losing – found others on the way
I have kissed the ladies and left them crying – stolen dreams, yes there’s
no denying I have travelled hard, sometimes with conscience flying, somewhere
with the wind
CHORUS
Now I’m sitting here before the fire, the empty room, the forest choir
The flames that couldn’t get any higher – they’ve withered now they’ve
gone But I’m steady thinking, my way is clear and I know what I will do
tomorrow When the hands have shaken and the kisses flowed then I will disappear
CHORUS
Songs from REAL ESTATE (1988)
Downthe Buckneyden the burn crashes down from the Autumn spate. The gentle hazels rustle as they bend and sway as they laden wait. My fathers they have walked this road and now I know And yes didn’t they know There is no great and heavy load And now I know And yes didn’t they know. Fa la-a la la la-a We stand on Solid Ground on Solid Ground Fa la-a la la la-a We stand on Solid Ground Across the Arlick face the amber sun beats down to tinge the vivid green. I hear it wide and loud, feel it wild and proud, the way it’s always been. My fathers they have looked this way And now I know And yes didn’t they know No clever words we have to say And now I know And yes didn’t they know . Fa l a-a l a l a etc. Where is the honest truth? Where is the open soul? Where is the simple smile? A couthie word or two for the passing stranger who may rest a while. My fathers they have said these things And now I know And yes didn’t they know The joy that shared friendship brings And now I know And yes didn’t they know. Fa la-a la la etc. It’s the Land. It is our wisdom. It’s the Land. It shines us through. It’s the Land. It feeds our children. It’s the Land. You cannot own the Land. The Land owns you.
To love, and be able to live in, the area where your
father and grandfather lived is rare enough these days.
This song mentions places and sentiments shared by us. Inspiration also
from Chief Seattle’s
Oh restless fool can’t you wait a minute longer? Oh restless fool can’t
you wait until you’re stronger? For there’s things that you don’t know
about harvesting the field There’s things that you don’t know And without
a little time they will never be revealed. Oh restless fool don’t leave
them all behind you. Oh restless fool you'll disappear they'll never find
you. For there’s things that you don’t know of how the lady likes to dance.
There’s things that you don’t know And without a little help you may never
find the chance. Oh restless fool you don’t hear a word I’m saying. Oh
restless fool you can leave but I am staying. For there’s things that you
don’t know about this wild illusive dream. There’s things that you don’t
know And it’s certain sure nothing is the way it seems.
I’m a child of the Great Cree Nation. See my I’m my father’s son. We
live by the great Bull. See me I’m the wild one. This morning we are ready
to show the Buffalo our knives. And by the red of sunset we’II have relieved
them of their lives. Buffalo jump feel the thunder Buffalo jump across
the plain Buffalo jump kill the hunger Crashing over the cliffs of pain.
The Beast has well been gathered. We could have had a thousand more. We’II
run them to the edge. They’II tumble out through death’s dark door. And
soon the blood will flow like water through these sunbleached ancient bones.
It will revive this dusty land on which our seeds of life arethrown. Buffalo
jump etc. See me I am the bravest. I’m the strongest of us all. I’II stand
beside the river’s edge and watch the great black waterfall. I’m a child
of the Great Cree Nation. See me I’m my father’s son. We live by the Great
Bull. See me I’m the wild one. Buffalo jump etc.
The North American Indians relied heavily on the buffalo for survival.
Before the white man ’s horse and rifle, the Buffalo were
all hunted on foot – and the Indians devised many devious ways of doing
this. I was taken to a place near Lethbridge in Canada called
a buffalo jump – where once a year the Indians drove hundreds of buffalo
over a high cliff to their deaths. At the cliff
base lie over ten metres of bones – it’s thought that the Indians
had been using the place (called ’head ca ved in ’J for over 20,000
years.
This is really not my home Oh where are you my lovely Jenny? I’m afraid
and all alone. There is no peace for me. I’m sitting in the stranger’s
room Playing at the stranger’s table Shining empty like the moon. There
is no peace for me.
There’s nought but care on ev’ry han’, In ev’ry hour that passes, O;
What signifies the life o’ man, An "twer na for the lasses, O. Green grow
the rashes, O! Green grow the rashes, O! The sweetest hours that e’er I
spend Are spent amang the lasses, O! The warldly race may riches chase,
An’ riches still may fly them, O; An’ though at last they catch them fast,
Their hearts can ne’er enjoy them, O. Green grow etc. Gie me a cannie hour
at e’en, My arms about my dearie, O; An’ warldly cares, an’ warldly men,
May a’ gae tapsalteerie, O. Green grow etc.
HOMELAND (DUTHAICH MO CHRIDHE)
You’re a stranger to these hills and you’ve come up here to end your
days. And you love our running rivers and you love our quiet little Highland
ways. You sold your house in the city - you put it on the market and you
did so good. Now you bought yourself a little piece of something that you
don’t understand and you’ve misunderstood.
Rural Perthshire is a very beautiful part of Scotland, where houses
have become very desirable as holiday or retiral homes – bought
mainly by those from ’outwith’ Scot/and who can afford to pay
much more than the local people. This is a sadness all over
the highlands and islands, and can resultin community-less glens and villages.
This song is not against all ’incomers’ – it is about the insensitivity
of many to the history, traditions, pride, feelings and needs of
the locals, and indeed the land itself. ’The Fiery Cross’ was
used by highland chiefs to gather the clan In times of need,
or to repel unwanted intruders – a flaming cross was carried
around the glen in relays, and could be seen from far and wide.
Oh the sky was shaking as we turned her round Through the crashing spray
of the Cuillin Sound And all hands were silent on that final day As we
sailed the Mhairi Bhan home And that tired old lady she had served us well
Through the straits and calms to the banks of Hell And all hearls were
broken on that final day As we sailed the Mhairi Bhan home Ho-ro-ee-o with
the wind she braved us Ho-ro-ee-o across the waves she sailed us Ho-ro-ee-o
her children of the sea Now a man is foolish if he thinks he knows All
of times delusions, its ebbs and flows But all eyes were empty on that
final day As we sailed the Mhairi Bhan home And we have the children and
their growth to feed . But there’s no relaxing our nations greed And all
future perished on that final day As we sailed the Mhairi Bhan home Ho-ro-ee-o
etc. He is our captain and he is a brave and rolling man A salty dog we
all agree He tells us stories of the fishing in his father’s time That
we find just too hard to believe He is our captain and he’s not afraid
to face the wind And with the wind he’s not afraid to run But poor progress
has put his ship upon these rugged rocks And now all his sailing is done
Ho-ro-ee-o etc.
Mirk and rainy is the night, No a star’n a’ the carry; Lightnings gleam
athwart the lift, And winds drive wi’winter’s fury. O are ye sleepin’,
Maggie, O are ye sleepin’, Maggie, Let me in for loud the linn Is roaring
o’er the warlock craigie. Fearfu’ soughs the boortree bank, O are ye sleepin’,
Maggie etc. Aboon my breath I daurna speak, For fear I rouse your waukrife
daddie; Cauld’s the blast upon my cheek, O rise, rise, my bonnie lady!
O are ye sleepin’, Maggie etc.
Here comes the morning Cruel and clear There is no reasonable chance
That it might disappear Here comes the evening It’s still the same We are
just passengers upon This godless, ghostly train But she loves me when
I try She thinks about me when I’m gone Oh she helps me when I can’t hold
on It’s another market another sale Another reason to believe We’re ahead
and cannot fail But there’s deadly dangers That we must endure There are
so many different ways We never can be sure But she loves me etc. So there
is no ending Tothistale There is no destination On this long and restless
rail And here comes the morning Cruel and clear There is no reasonable
chance That it might disappear
Songs from INDEGENOUS 1991
RITE OF PASSAGE
Take the Young On to the desert teach them how the arrow flies How to
smell the beast upon the wind and run with mother nature’s loving lies
Show them how to balance what is wrong and what is right And make their
own directions through the longest darkest night CHORUS Oh you need that
rite of passage before you can continue on That brave self understanding
you can lean your dreams upon You may want for children you may crave for
man and wife But you need that rite of passage to the summer of your life
Show the children to the master, put the tools into their hands show them
how to work the grain and how to hold the ever moving sand Place with them
the knowledge of the far and of the near And lead them through the waiting
storms that will never ever clear CHORUS It’s a sad deluded vision this
creature of our time Its body now is broken its smile it rarely has the
chance to shine It stands so high and mighty with its never ending needs
While somewhere in the beating heart. the earth it vainly pleads CHORUS
RANK AND ROSES
They worked through wind and rain to keep the
roof above our heads Mumbled time and time again What could they do’. They
crawled across your floors to keep and clean your houses Broken wounds
and open sores What could they do? A little respect would have helped them
through CHORUS We are our father’s dreams We are our mother’s pride and
joy And we will be the On to tell you now that it’s over You have no hold
on us like the fear you laid on them We are the seeds they grew It’s we
that you must answer to Occasion in the village hall she speaks with rank
and roses So high above them all What could they do? He struts with dog
and gun They scramble through a heather hell Beat the ground until they
run What could they do’. A little respect would have helped them through
CHORUS
WAR
Our voice made silent our hands made still But deep and violent wait
the ones who wait to kill The desert’s burning, their reasons pale For
there’s no returning with some golden holy grail CHORUS What have they
done? What have they done’. The blood will run to everyone Oh what have
they done? Is it for freedom’. Or is it for truth That father’s fall and
all those young men trade their youth’. Or are they moved by deception’s
hand That rank and recklese scatters death across the sand? CHORUS Is it
for freedom? Or is it for truth That fathers fall and all those young men
trade their youth. And the deserte burning, their faces pale For there’s
no returning with some golden holy grail CHORUS
SLAVE`S LAMET
It was in sweet Senegal that my foes did me enthrall For the lands of
Virginia-ginia – o Torn from that lovely shore and must never see it more
And alas I am weary weary-o All on that charming coast is no bitter snow
oz frost Like the lands of virginia-ginia-o There streams forever flow
and the flowers forever grow And alas Z am weary weary-o This burden I
must bear while the cruel scourge I fear In the lande of Virginia-ginia-o
And I think on friends most dear with a bitter bitter tear And alas I am
weary weary-o Zt was in sweet Senegal that my foes did me enthrall For
the lands of Virginia-ginia – o Torn from that lovely shore and must never
see it more And alas Z am weary weary-o
TURNING AWAY
CHORUS On darkness we do what we can In daylight we’re oblivion Our
hearts so raw and clear Are turning away, turning away from here On the
water we have walked like the fearless child What was fastened we’ve unlocked
revealing wondrous wild And in search of confirmation we have jumped into
the fire And scrambled with our burning feet through uncontrolled desire
CHORUS There’s a well upon the hill from our ancient past Where an age
is standing still holding strong and fast And there’s those that. try to
tame it and to carve it into stone Ah but words cannot extinguish it however
hard they’re thrown CHORUS On Loch Etive they have worked with their Highland
dreams By Kilcrennan they have nourished in the mountain screams And in
searching for acceptance they had given it away Only the children of their
children know the price they had to pay CHORUS
LET HER GO
I see your tired and empty eyes and the pain of a life that’s broken
Little darling though everybody tries, no the door it will never open CHORUS
Let her go, let her go Set her free and let her go Her mother whispers
soft and low Just let her free and let her go Just a little flower that’s
wilting in the cruel haze of fate and of time’s survival just a little
girl who has no more time to wait for mysteries cool revival CHORUS And
so we our shame hear us And so we the blame CHORUS shout our anger and
we shout but we’re sure no – one will take the burden and we take and hope
she’s always near us
THIS LINE HAS BROKEN
How long did you think it would take until it started to weaken’. How
long could you fumble and fake and not see it was beaten’. You crave for
the other man’s shoes You break and you bite You black and you bruise but.
CHORUS This line has broken And what could have been saved her been wasted
away This line has broken And what could have been saved has been wasted
away And you’ve no right to act. like the child who’s been lost and forsaken
And you’ve no right or be angry and wild at the choices you’ve taken You
crave for the other man’s t is me You black
and you bruise You creep and you climb but CHORUS The wind b1ows on friendship
young face Look at it burning, turning, fading away We all crave for the
other man’s light We hope and we dream but we know what feels right CHORUS
AE FOND KISS
Ae fond kiss, and then we sever Ae fareweel, and then forever Deep in
heart – wrung tears I’ll pledqe thee Warring sighs and groans I’ll wage
thee Wha should say that fortune grieves him While the star of hope she
leavee him. Me, nae cheerfu’ twinkle liqhts me, Dark despair around beniqhts
me. Had we never loved sae kindly, Had we never loved sae blindly, Never
met.– ot’ never parted- We would neer be broken hearted. E’are-t.hee –
weel, t.hou first and fairest – Fare-thee-weel,
thou best and dearest Thine be ilke joy and t.reasure Peace, enjoyment.,
love and pleasure. Ae fonh kiss, and t.hen we sever Ae fareweel, and then
forever Deep in heart-wrunq tears I’1l pledge thee Warring sighs and groans
I’ll wage the thee
THUNDERING IN
You found chances in this place To build upon your affluence and build
upon your grace You’d have come sooner if you’d known Now you’re brushing
up the velvet and the beads upon your throne CHORUS You come thundering
in You come thundering in You want and you’re taking plenty And all the
things that we knew You’ve plundered them through And you’ll drink till
our cup is empty Blindly thundering Once the old ones used to meet With
stories told before the fire- the whiskey tasted sweet. You did not want
them to be seen Now you’re polishing the vinyl and your video machine CHORUS
How can you repay them for stealing their pride For stealing the place
that they keep deep inside So you’ll move these ancient stones You’ll cut
away these green and spreading towers that have grown. And when we ask
you where they’ve gone Well you polish your excuses for the ’made man’
must move on CHORUS
ETERNITY
She loves me, she loves me not - where can a simple island boy begin.
This Highland pride is all I’ve got but in the darkness it means everything
It makes me me one with the tide It makes me strong when I’m burning inside
But in the darkness struggle cold I think about a garden valley. Gentle
as the leaves unfold Singing out across the Tay Distant and so far away
There is no peace for me. I ’m blinded by your city lights. I wander through
these fearful places. The colours fade to black and white There is no peace
for me. And these are not the friends I know The se are not their smiling
faces. A desert that no-one should know There is no peace for me. But in
the darkness etc. Now I know and feel it well Poor immigrants d eep sunken
feeling Standing at the gates of Hell. There is no peace for me. Burned
out by their master’s greed Cruel exile transportation Robbed of every
love and need. There is no peace for me.
But in the darkness etc.
This song, as well as ’She Loves Me (When I Try) ’, was
recorded in front of the fire at the Old Schoolhouse in Butterstone
very late one evening. Engineered by Jenny.
Written by Robert Burns, whose work I greatly admire.
But I’II tell you about the land that you play on What you’ve gained
is our ultimate loss. I’II tell you about the soil you decay on. I’II hold
it up to you I like the Fiery Cross.
You love the view from your window and you’d go out more but it always
rains. You don’t think much of the music or the tears in the old man’s
sad refrains. You’ve bought yourself miles of tartan and you wear it round
your middle and you wear it on your head. You stand there a proud believer
in a vision of the truth that’s long gone dead. But I’II tell you about
the land etc. Once these glens were full of people and the songs and stories
of their fathers of old And there was peace and plenty and a horn of whiskey
when the weather grew cold. Then along came the great improvers and they
cleaned it up like only imperials could They lined them up for transportation
to the land of the brave and the free and the good. But I’II tell you about
the land etc. Look to the south I tell you that the black man has it cruel
and hard But you don’t have to look any further than the rumble of stones
in our own backyard. And Oh sad the day and all that’s left are a fading
few Yes Sir you may have paid good money for it but no it'll never belong
to you. But I’II tell you about the land etc.
This song is about a Herbridean family bringing their flashing boat
’The Mhairi Shan’ (The Fair Mary) home for the last time – it’s hard
for the small family fishing concerns to survlve in these modern
times.
She op’t the door, she let him in; He cuist aside his dreepin’ plaidie;
Blaw your warst ye rain an’ win’, Since Maggie now I’m in aside ye Now
since ye’re wakin’ Maggie! Now since ye’re wakin’ Maggie! What care I for
howlets’cry, For boortree bank or warlock craigie.
Written by Rober Tannahill, whose work I also love. This was the
firstsong I ever recorded, while part of the band, The Tannahill Weavers,
on their firstalbum "Are Ye Sleepin’ Maggie?".
(Music and Lyrics by DOUGIE MACLEAN)
(Music and Lyrics by DOUGIE MACLEAN)
(Music and l,yrics by DOUGIE MACLEAN)
(Traditional- Robert Burns- Arranged by DOUGIE MACLEAN)
(Music and Lyrics by DOUGIE MACLEAN)
(Music and Lyrics by Dougie MacLean)
(Music and Lyrics by DOUGlE MACLEAN)
(Traditional – Robert Burns- Arranged by DOUGIE MACLEAN)
(Music and Lyrics by DOUGIE MACLEAN)
(Music and Lyrics by DOUGIE MACLEAN)
CHORUS
Standing here on Cadderley Between the burn and the turning sea I gaze
across at these golden hills I’m looking all the way to eternity I stand
naked I’m the native one- I like to feel the wind across my face I like
to dream but maybe I should run in case our tracks get covered and we leave
no trace No trace of where we have come No trace of songs we can hold for
our young
CHORUS
I will sow this seed again I will work this field and know it’s never
ending I’ll lose a son to the German wars we’ll lose the land he was fighting
for Lose our language to greed and gain all washed away by a southern rain
Washed until we can’t see What our destiny m eant us to be CHORUS