Below you can find the lyrics of all the tracks on this CD

1. The Blantyre Overwinding
2. The Ears of the Wolf
3. Tiny Hands
4. Superhero
5. Thank You Whisky Vicar
6. Wedding Song
7. Bruce at Bannockburn
8. I Still Believe in You
9. Picasso Paints Guernica
10. The Lamplighter
11. The Wicker Man
12. To Daffodils
13. Whisky Pilgrims

1. The Blantyre Overwinding

Come gather all you people
And listen to my song
I’ll tell you a tale
Of things that can go wrong
I was working down Blantyre
Number Three pit
And the year was eighteen
Seventy eight
’Twas the spring of eighteen
Seventy eight

We walked into the cage
At the end of the shift
Closed the gate, rang the bell
The cage began to lift
We were tired but happy
To be heading to the top
But something went wrong
When the cage didn’t stop
Oh it all went wrong
When the cage didn’t stop

It happened all so quickly
It was over in a flash
The cage hit the cross beams
With a mighty crash
It tipped and it broke
Leaving air beneath our feet
And the mouth of a shaft
Nine hundred feet deep
Oh the darkness of a shaft
Nine hundred feet deep

One day the time will come
One day I pray
The time will come
When the mines are run
In a different way

Six decent miners
Went down that black hole
The echo of their screams
Would shiver your soul
In my whole life
I’ve never been so scared
But I clung to the cage
And somehow I was spared
Oh clinging to the wreckage
I was somehow spared

We lost Robert Murdoch
And his old man Tom
Pat Hopkins, Mike Currie
Both of them are gone
And the Haughneys up from Durham
The boy was just sixteen
They’ll never see the sun
On the springtime green
They’ll never see the sun
On the springtime green

Dixons Mining Company
Tried to pin the blame
On the engine operator
Arthur Clelland was his name
But Arthur was a good man
The system was flawed
It should have been Dixons
Who answered to the Law
It should have been Dixons
Who answered to the Law

One day the time will come
One day I pray
The time will come
When the mines are run
In a different way
My name is James Gerraty
I live in Dixons Row
I’ve worked in Dixons mines
In danger down below
But I swear I’ll never work
For that company again
For they put financial gain
Before the lives of men
Oh profit and gain
Before the lives of men

One day the time will come
One day I pray
The time will come
When the mines are not run
For profit and gain
Before the lives of men
There has to be, has to be
There has to be a different way


Track List

2. The Ears of the Wolf

The ears of the wolf
The ears of the wolf
Were seen across the border
Cold hungry eyes looking north
The King saw the danger
And gave the fateful order
And now we’re running from the wolf

The Queen of France
The Queen of France
Sent the King a letter
And Jamie could not resist the call
(With promises embroidered)
To guard and protect her
And now our King has lost it all

Jamie, our Sovereign and our Lord
We held you in esteem
We acted on your word
Jamie, where did it all go wrong
And what can we do
Now you’re not coming home

A dark shadow falls
A dark shadow falls
Spreading from the border
Filling our people’s hearts with fear
There is no safe harbour
We are in disorder
And that dark shadow’s coming near

Now we build walls
Now we build walls
Hoping bricks and mortar
Can save us from the wolf outside the door
We cannot surrender
They will not give quarter
Surely, it’s our hardest hour

Jamie, our Sovereign and our Lord
We held you in esteem
We acted on your word
Jamie, where did it all go wrong
And what can we do
Now you’re not coming home

Small seeds of hope
Small seeds of hope
In our sons and daughters
Maybe the sun will shine again
And the blood of our martyrs
Be washed by the waters
That fall in time’s healing rain

Jamie, our Sovereign and our Lord
We held you in esteem
We acted on your word
Jamie, where did it all go wrong
And what can we do
Now you’re not coming home


Track List

3. Tiny Hands

Oh these tiny hands
One day they may surprise us
But for now
At every single chance
They reach out to the world
The universe is held
Handled and explored
In these tiny hands

Oh these tiny hands
Can handle things so gently
But please
Be sure to understand
That she will not be tricked
Or ever let things slip
From the steady grip
Of these tiny hands

And I am only following a road
You are only following a road
But we can be together for a while
Along the road
Oh these piercing eyes
Of slightly different colour
They combine
The ocean and the sky
One’s green and one is blue
And if they see right through
Everything you do
It’s really no surprise

Oh these sleepless nights
We walk the floor together
I am tired;
You are full of life
It nearly makes me cry
But somehow time goes by
Till you close your eyes
In the morning light

And I am only following a road
You are only following a road
But we can be together for a while
Along the road


Track List

4. Superhero

Sometimes I feel like I could stand
Cast my shadow all over this land
Hold the world in the palm of my hand
That’s how you make me feel
That’s how you make me feel

Lightning’s flashing from my fingertips
Prophecies are tumbling over my lips
I can bring down planes I can burn ships
That’s how you make me feel
That’s how you make me feel

But I fall down and cry
Whenever that door closes
I fall down and cry
Whenever you walk away

All of a sudden I’m ultra smart
My intellectual powers are way off the chart
I can even understand abstract art
That’s how you make me feel
That’s how you make me feel

I can move faster than the speed of light
There’s no monster I wouldn’t fight
I can make sure everything turns out right
That’s how you make me feel
That’s how you make me feel

But I fall down and cry
Whenever that door closes
I fall down and cry
Whenever you walk away

I’m Superman I’m Spiderman
I’m all the Fantastic Four
Mr Incredible Captain America
I’m Flash, I’m Hulk, I’m Thor
And I know what my powers are for
Cos I believe in love not war

But every superhero has a weakness
Every one has his flaw
We all face out nemesis
It’s a universal law
And you give me power
But you can make me fall

Sometimes I feel like I could stand
Cast my shadow all over this land
Hold the world in the palm of my hand
That’s how you make me feel
That’s how you make me feel


Track List

5. Thank You Whisky Vicar

It was an autumn day, the sky was blue
The trees were turning gold
When I met the Whisky Vicar
He was strolling down the road

I asked him if a decent malt
Could help a sinner like me
Just for a while we walked and talked
And he shared his philosophy

He said "Don’t look for miracles
Or the guiding hand of God -
We have no choice but to travel
But we can always choose which road"

Chorus

He said "Whisky can bring you joy
And it can bring you peace,
But whisky can lead to confusion
And even unleash the beast;
It can bathe you in a heavenly light
Or it can make you blind
It isn’t the whisky, it’s not the whisky
It’s your attitude of mind"

There’s a Highland Cathedral we can find
Among the mountains and glens
A Hogwarts for the lover of drams
A haven for whisky friends

The angels all play bagpipes
The students laugh and sing
They love to talk about whisky
Appreciation is their thing’.

For there’s a brotherhood of whisky fans
(it’s a sisterhood as well)
They’re not the crazy drinkers
When you meet them you can tell

He said "Whisky can...

He said "I was born in the summer of love
And that’s inspired my plan
To foster love and friendship
Among my fellow man

Whisky is my method
It’s my spirituality
Remember it was made by monks
Long before you and me

Now the Devil comes a-knocking
He wants to be let in
But we are the whisky drinkers of love
Not the drinkers of sin’.

He said "Whisky can...

I said goodbye to Wolfgang there
We parted on that road
The sun still high in the clear blue sky
The trees were turning gold

I felt my life was turning too
And I should take control
To appreciate my blessings
And take more care of my soul

So thank you Whisky Vicar
For being so wise and calm
And showing me salvation
And we didn’t even share a dram.

He said "Whisky can...


Track List
6. Wedding Song

We get no directions for the road to romance
And many never find the way
We are random collisions in a universe of chance
That’s what some people say
And the odds were against such happiness
For someone like me I suppose
But some things were meant to be
And this is one of those

And now this world is a colourful place
Where once it was black and white
And the colours they come from the smile on your face
And its happiness and light
I never knew I was I the shade
Till the sun began to shine
And we laugh in the sun like fairies
Who’ve been drinking summer wine

If you were the rain I would stay outside
And I would never want to be dry
If you were the sun I would shun all shade
And dream of a deep blue sky
And if you were the stars I would sleep all day long
And gaze on you in the night
And if you were the dawn I would wake too soon
And ache for the morning light

We’re two tall ships on the sea of the heart
Rising in time with the tide
We’re two all trees in a happy park
Growing side by side
We’re two eagles flying high
Two friends having fun
We’re two lovers learning the dance
And the night has just begun

If you were the rain I would stay outside
And I would never want to be dry
If you were the sun I would shun all shade
And dream of a deep blue sky
And if you were the stars I would sleep all day long
And gaze on you in the night
And if you were the dawn I would wake too soon
And ache for the morning light

Good times, bad times
Sunshine and rain
Sad times, glad times
Happiness and pain
Centre stage or sidelines
Always with you
Filthy rich or breadline
Anything will do
Small print - headlines
Every word is true


Track List
7. Bruce at Bannockburn

I came here to fight
For my people, for my country
You came to show your might
You came here for fame and glory
These are not your lands
You should not have crossed the border
You fail to understand
We fight harder in a corner

You tried to take me down
But you’re the one who’s fallen
All the world looked on
Frozen by the moment
But I rose like the dawn
And you’re the one who’s fallen

I was looking for words
To inspire the men before me
Like a beautiful curse
You rode your horse straight for me
You saw a shining chance
But in my life I was never more ready
I looked onto your lance
I held my round, firm and steady

You tried to take me down
But you’re the one who’s fallen
All the world looked on
Frozen by the moment
But I rose like the dawn
And you’re the one who’s fallen

Now we see, all our demons
Can be faced, can be beaten
Now we have a stronger reason
To fight for all that we believe in
We can win the fight for freedom now

I had a restless night
Full of dreams of pain and madness
Now the river runs bright
Like a ribbon of silver sadness
Under the summer sun
Shadows fall on the field of battle
When all is said and done
Standing firm is all that matters

You tried to take me down
But you’re the one who’s fallen
All the world looked on
Frozen by the moment
But I rose like the dawn
And you’re the one who’s fallen
You’re the one who’s fallen
You’re the one who’s fallen


Track List
8. I Still Believe in You

I belong to a simple church
Thank heaven for the happy touch
Of getting joy from nothing much
And after all we’ve been through
I still believe in you
I know truth and I see it in you
I still believe in you

Across the prairie’s endless sky
And over mountains wild and high
The soaring wings of love will fly
Carrying me and you
"Way up into the blue
The engine driven by the power of two
I still believe in you

And I will tell you this
There’s no place I’d rather be
In all the world and for all time
You are the one for me

Water trickles in a summer lade
Or crashes down in a wild cascade
An ocean of love is what we’ve made
And there’s so much still to do
Things to look forward to
Things to explore and things to renew
I still believe in you

And I will tell you this
There’s no place I’d rather be
In all the world and for all time
You are the one for me

I still believe in you
I still believe in you
I still believe in you


Track List
9. Picasso Paints Guernica

They call me Pablo the painter
This land is not my home
But I love my art
So I choose to live
Where the value of art is known

I stand before this canvas
That fills the entire room
And there’s a story
I must tell
Of an April afternoon

Far away in the distance
A small speck appears
And like an angry insect
The swelling sound
Of danger death and fear

I close my eyes to remember
Fond images of Spain
Now a tortured
Country tossed
On an endless sea of pain

I see the bulls and the picadors
The blood upon the sand
And my dark-eyed
Senorita
With a candle in her hand

Black bombs come raining
From a silk cerulean sky
And in the smoke, the ash and the flame
The people fall
And scream and choke and cry

Guernica calling to the world
Guernica calling to the world
Guernica calling to the world

A newspaper horse is dying
It falls down to the floor
I’ll tell this story
In black and white
For sometimes less is more

And I will paint those voices
I hear them in my head
They tell me terror
Stalks the land
And innocence is dead

And all the vibrant colours
As spring returns Spain
Are blacked out in an instant
And nothing there
Will ever be the same

Guernica calling to the world - Guernica calling to the world - Guernica calling to the world


Track List
10. The Lamplighter

My tea is nearly ready and the sun has left the sky
It’s time to take the window to see Leerie going by
For every night at tea-time and before you take your seat
With lantern and with ladder he comes posting up the street

Now Tom would be a driver and Maria go to sea
And my Papa’s a banker and as rich as he can be
But I, when I am stronger and can choose what I’m to do
Oh Leerie I’ll go round at night and light the lamps with you!

For we are very lucky with a lamp before the door
And Leerie stops to light it as he lights so many more
And so, before you hurry by with ladder and with light
Oh Leerie see a little child and nod to him tonight


Track List
11. The Wicker Man

The wicker man has big strong thumbs
And with his clever, calloused hands
He quickly flicks those willow wands
And separate strands he pulls and bends
And tightly tucks them in
Before he snips the ends

And I wonder if he understands
That every snip of every strand
Brings to an end hopes and plans
That cannot be redeemed
And I don’t know if he cares at all
To him it must seem plain and small
As he weaves this enormous wall
Between me and my dreams

A tale is told in porcelain
Of simple souls who loved in vain
For lovers they could not remain
But through their pain they came to be
The doves that fly above
The weeping willow tree

And far away in Southern lands
In endless rows the willow stands
They harvest in the rods and wands
Before the sap can run
And although it’s just a simple thing
They never feel the rain of spring
Or know the gentle winds that sing
And never see the sun

He takes the wands that once grew straight
And bends them to his basket shape
Of coffin, creel or wicker gate
And trapped by fate the willow bends
And holds within its lines
Discreetly hidden ends

I dreamed I walked through poppy fields
And death was in that sleep revealed
Before the willow latch was sealed
Before the pain began
But waking now I understand
There is no fairy or wizard hand
To wave the slender willow wand
Only the wicker man


Track List
12. To Daffodils

Fair Daffodils, we weep to see
You haste away so soon;
As yet the early-rising sun
Has not attain’d his noon.
Stay, stay
Until the hasting day
Has run
But to the evensong;
And, having prayed together, we
Will go with you along.

We have short time to stay, as you,
We have as short a spring;
As quick a growth to meet decay
As you, or any thing.
We die
As your hours do, and dry
Away
Like to the summer’s rain;
Or as the pearls of morning dew,
Ne’er to be found again.

Fair Daffodils, we weep
Fair Daffodils, we weep
Stay, stay…


Track List
13. Whisky Pilgrims

Whisky pilgrim you are welcome here
Welcome to this land
You stand at the bar or upon the shore
Holding gold in your hand
The liquid fire of our nation’s heart
Is coursing through your veins
And though in time you must depart
Our friendship will remain

Follow the light, the mystic light
The light of the golden dram
And even when storms batter through the night
You’ll find peace and calm
So pilgrim come, pull up a chair
And share our stories and songs
The world is full of trouble and care
But this can make you strong

Whisky pilgrim you are welcome...

Heather and gorse on these ancient hills
Cut by rivers and streams
Pagoda skylines and Buddha stills
Peat smoke haunts your dreams
Of all the things you carry away
Whenever you travel back home
A memory of your happy stay
Is the best things you can own

Whisky pilgrim you are welcome...


Track List

 


last changes: 16 August 2020 , comments to info@robinlaing.com