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Walking in the Lea of Time |
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A collection of 12 songs inspired by stories told by residents of Lady Walk Home, and Harbour Lea sheltered housing in Anstruther.
1 Like a Storm
Andy Shanks He stands alone like there’s something missing A lonely figure with an orange net Feels the nylon and the twine black and heavy He turns to see but he’s not ready yet. Take your time for the world’s coming at you like as storm He’s seen a war and the whole world burning Seen the bombers owre the Isle o’ May Felt the thunder as the earth is churning Faced the morning of another day. Take your time for the world’s coming at you like a storm Every year there’s one less neighbor The world’s no better on the TV screen. You’d think the fighting would have stopped for ever We fought a war, what did it mean. Take your time for the world’s coming at you like a storm. You’ve got life in your hands Life’s in your hands Life’s in your hands. Take your time or they’ll snatch it away. So tell me truly was this life worth living You loved and lost and you made your way? He tells me son there’s much that’s changing But I still see bombers owre the Isle O’ May. So take your time for the world’s coming at you like a storm. Kinneuchar wi its curlin loch Carnbee and Arncroach Balcomie whar the gowfers play Lookin ower the Firth of Tay Kilrennie wi its couthie farms Dunino, Boarhills and Kingsbarns There's nae place at aw Like the East Neuk o Fife Chorus |
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| 2 Black and Yellow of the Oilskins Gifford Lind Black and Yellow of the oilskins Rainbow marks for the fleece Tar for the buoys and the fishing boat hold From the cold White Russian seas Look at the sea and the sky and the land And the colourful plants in the ground Yet yellow and black on a fisherman’s back Were the only colours found Chorus And the moon shines bright on the Firth of Forth And the May light blinks on the sea And the colourful world of a chemical man Shines like a colourful dream What makes a colour It’s a chemistry nobody knows In the colourful mind of a chemical man A vision of colour still glows/grows His artist son paints the colours of life The other’s a chemical loon Workin the mines o the cold far North And the rocks brought doon fae the moon Chorus Tom now paints on a clean white sheet Wi colours bright and bold A love of his life that’s taken him far A story that had to be told And Tom can sit by his own fireside, And gaze at the wall in his room At the colours found by his chemical son On a mineral rock from the moon Chorus x 2 3 Holy City Andy Shanks Winter tide in the Holy City A full moon rising on a brimming sea Brings this sinner to the lights of Ainster Wi’ half filled boxes in a storm’s dark lea. Singing come on down to the Holy City Come on down to the holy sea Come on down to the Holy City See God come dancing down the streets to me…. The east pier’s sharp as ice this morning Women glance at the luckless sea. If God’s a fisher his nets are heavy For ne’re a fish he’s left for me. Come on down to the Holy City Come on down to the … Sunday night the water’s screaming The wind tears shreds from the glowering sky. I first saw Lisa wi' her bible walking Up Pitskerrie wi' a glittering eye. She sings come to me you hopeless sinner Come to me frae the ragging sea. I’ll mesh your nets wi' God’s own needle Come fish for souls in the kirk wi’’' me. Shore Sat. kirk wi’ its stain glass windaes |Where the hymns come pounding down like the sea I’m watching Lisa bible singing Save me Jesus she’s set me free This little light of mine I’m going to let it shine … I sailed fro Yarmouth at break of morning Nets well set for an early start Wind still singing in the wheel house awning Of the Holy City and Lisa’s heart. 4 The Sunday Walk Gifford Lind Climb up the hill tae Abercrombie Round tae see the Colinsburgh lads Kinneuchar maybe doon tae Earlsferry Then it's hame tae St Monans an yer dad Chorus Off off off on the Sunday walk It’s a fine fine day, had enough o talk And we sing,sing sing as we walk walk walk The hymns we sang at church in the morning Jesus loves me this I know Cause the bible tells me so Little Christian souls are we Fae St Monans by the sea Yes Jesus loves me Yes Jesus loves me Yes Jesus loves me The bible tells me so We sing sing sing as we’re walkin The hymns we sang at church in the morn The Lads and The Lassies walk thegether And lads meet wi lassies in the corn Chorus Onward Christian Soldiers Marching as to war Young folk o St Monans Marching on before Out tae meet the locals See whit they are like If they dinnae like us here We’ll just take a hike Climbing up the hill tae Abercrombie Round tae see the Colinsburgh lads Kinneuchar maybe doon tae Earlsferry Then it's hame tae St Monans an yer dad Chorus Will your anchor hold in the storms of life, When the clouds unfold their wings of strife? When the strong tides lift, and the cables strain, Will your anchor drift or firm remain? We have an anchor that keeps the soul Steadfast and sure while the billows roll; Fastened to the rock which cannot move, Grounded firm and deep in the Saviours love. 5 A Dyker’s Compliments To Her Neebors Scott Murray Publ GRIAN Publishing Keep yer ain fish guts tae yer ain sea maws Ainster daws, tattie shaws Keep yer ain fish guts tae yer ain sea maws Lyin amang the deid craws An wha's acht you ma bonnie lass That moved here in the simmer Ah kent yer faither at the scale A torn-ersed Pittenweemer Ye lookin at me, ye Ainster daw Ah'll cowp ye in a dub sir An wha cried ye a partan face An ye sae like a lobster What's that ye're sayin, ah canna tell Ye styupit shilpit moaner Ye're no frae here, ah'm shair o that Ye're a St. Minnens droner Ye can keep yer Crail, yer Pittemweem Yer Ainster and St Minnens Daft dykers what ye ca us aa Awa back hame, guid riddence 6 Build Me a Boat Andy Shanks Build me a boat that will sail the sea Like a charm on a tinker’s lips. Build me a boat that will sail the sea Like a gannet clears the cliffs. As the waves come rushing in And the compass needle spins Build me a boat. Build me a sky that will light my day Like the glint in a lover’s eye. Build me a sky that will light my day Like the spray on a darkened wave When tomorrow’s hard to see And the darkness crowds on me Build me a boat. Build me a road that will take me home When I’m lost in a strange country Build me a road that will take me home The harbour lights to see When the charts we need are gone And the distances seem long Build me a road The sea and the sky and the road back home The sea and the sky and the road back home The sea and the sky and the road back home 7 Guiding Light, Evening Star Scott Murray Chorus: Guiding Light and the Evening Star Spes Malore and the Anster Belle Nae boats noo doon at the harbour But aye, Ah mind on them weel In darkness ye'd look ower the Forth Tae see the boats by their lichts Awa tae the east o the May Like a toon lit up in the nicht An ye kent the sabbath was endin When ye heard the buits o the men Cam doon the wynd tae the harbour - Time for the fishin again Ye thocht on the man who was lost Ta'en frae his boat by a wave Pit back on deck by anither We thanked the Lord he was saved There's nae drifter noo, nae trawlers Ye're nearer tae Dogger at Shields They've telt me a the guid reasons It's tae dae wi siller an yields 8 The Coal Dust Still Moves in the Sand Gifford Lind Walkin In the East Neuk o Fife Lookin out for the spires o the toun And the tiles of red brought in by the sea Where crabs and prawns live with fishermen's bones While the stones of the past wear away Washed into sea And the coal dust still moves in the sand And the coal dust still moves in the sand Where holy men lived in the caves And churches and martyrs burned Where Beaton first sailed to Mary's right hand Where fights were fought and the ruins still stand And the great wise men of old That ran the land Were left out in the cold Were left out in the cold I see in a moment that time has moved on And summer's been put to the plough And I stand in a land of forgotten dreams And wonder where can it go now And wonder where can it go now Where the haar o the sea meets the land Lookin out to the Bass and the May Where the black boats once drifted with fish in the hold A haven for oil skinned men of old And fiery volcanoes once roared Long before there was man And the coal dust still moves in the sand And the coal dust still moves in the sand 9 Mary Walks Andy Shanks Mary walks to see the mountains Far away and west of here Remembers days of horse and harness The sound of early morning gear. Out amang the stoor and clatter Swinging lamps out to the byre Singing songs to sooth the cattle Smoke drifts up from early fires. As Mary walks and Mary sings And Mary walks and Mary sings… Of home Heavy horses spark the cobbles Breathing mist into the air Mary fills the byre with laughter As the dew falls on her hair. Doing what her mother told her She swings her lamp out from the byre Its aye the outsides keep the insides We’re spinning gold from dub and mire. Sitting here in far Bonerbo Watching boats out on the bay She minds o’ horse and kye and clatter As the clouds drift owre the Isle o’ May 10 Raised on the Land for a life by the sea Gifford Lind Mary moved fae Fife tae a farm at Logiealmond Walked tae school at Tibbermore many miles away Following the paths o the men and the horses Gazing at the bens in the bright light o May. Then back tae Langraw up the hill fae Cairnsmill By Mount Melville on the East Coast line Walkin tae Madras in the mornin after milkin First in the family tae drive tae the toun Chorus A life on the land looking out tae the water Wild were the East winds that roared in her e’e The sea maws, the salt and the haar in the morning Raised on the land for a life by the sea Jock o Benerbo went racing round the country He owned the only motor in the East Neuk o Fife Daft Jock they called him, his stories went before him Folk that heard him comin wid just run for their life Mary met Jock and the two started courtin Soon they were married at the Cameron Kirk Stood wi the guests in a tent at Benerbo Lookin at the lights o the boats in the dark Chorus Mary went wi Jock all o’er the country Travelled all around on the red roads o Fife Looked out wi joy when the black wheels were turning A run in the car was the joy o her life And Mary still dreams o the hills in the distance We all have a notion o where we’d like tae be Life is a road that turns and twists before us Raised on the land for a life by the sea Mary loved the land, the sea wasnae for her A sail in a boat had her hurlin oer the side A child o the land, born tae the farming Living by the sea was the life that she found Chorus 11 An Anster Minister’s Dilemma Gifford Lind One day in the Winter in Anster Toun The bairns were aw let aff the school There was fish for the taking aw roon the bay Fae the Dreel tae the Cellardyke pool And folk were aw Chorus Wadin in wi their baskets Sccopin them oot by the creel And the men in the boats wi their nets and their floats Were pulling the herring in The minister gazed at this bountiful catch Said a prayer and then Michty me! If I had a boat I could catch me a creel O herring tae hae for my tea But I’ll no go Chorus So he asked if a boat could be found for him Tae sail out and catch him a few Nae chance said the Auld yins aw gathered around Ye’ll just have tae hae ye a pew Or you can go Chorus Then an auld man remembered an auld auld book About fishin folk goin tae fish men Yon Peter and Simon, they gied up their boat See them, they might gie ye a len And folk were aw Chorus 12 Lucky Fish Andy Shanks Sleep well my lass The night’s soon passing The daylight’s never far behind Beneath the sea the shoals o’ herring Lie fathoms deep beneath the wave. At every crack o’ day they’re rising One catches crimson frae the dawn One lucky fish with red scales flaming Swims wi the rest beneath the storm. And a’ its brothers cool and silver Swim tight and close its light to see. So wish me heavy nets and crimson And I’ll bring the red fish back for ye.
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