BRIGHT MORNING STARS
Lyrics
Swing Low Sail High
(Nicky Mehta, SOCAN 2009)
I have failed you, I have failed you
I have lost my way, lost my nerve
I’ve failed you
But I love you, how I love you
I have turned my back, left you last
but I love you
O setting sun don’t sink before I’ve found my heart
Heart don’t give up now while there’s still time
Time don’t beat your old retreat
stay a little while with me
til I’ve looked the whole thing in the eye
I have waited, I have waited
for the big reveal, the even keel
I have waited
But there’s no one who
makes it all come true
Just altars gathering dust while we bow to them
O night bring all your shadows and your silence
Silence make a hostage of my mind
Mind bring on your trickery
Black dogs nip on at my heels
til I’ve looked the whole thing in the eye
Swing low, sail high
I have failed you, I have failed you
I’ve closed my heart,
I have failed you
But I love you, how I love you
All my days will rearrange to say I love you
O setting sun don’t weep for all the things you lose
morning comes as sure as it must die
dying is such mystery
yet I wonder will it be
when I’ve looked the whole thing in the eye
All The Stars
(Ruth Moody, SOCAN 2007)
All the stars in the sky
Burn to black close your eyes
All the stars in the sky
Say goodbye say goodbye
We were here yesterday
Now we seem so far away
We were here yesterday
I heard you say
You don’t know me
You know one side of a story
You don’t know me
So open wide your wounded heart
Feel yourself be blown apart
Open wide your wounded heart
It’s a funny place to start
But in the light of the sun
We are found we are undone
In the light of the sun
We are all one
And you don’t know me
You know one side of a story
Oh you don’t know me
All the seeds beneath the snow
Start to grow start to grow
All the seeds beneath the snow
Say hello say hello
All the seeds that lie below
Deep in the heart of what we know
All the seeds that lie below
The ones we sowed
And you don’t know me
You know one side of a story
But if we could be free
One with all this glory
Bird Song
(Heather Masse, 2008, Winged Way, BMI)
I hear a bird chirping, up in the sky
I’d like to be free like that spread my wings so high
I see the river flowing water running by
I’d like to be that river, see what I might find
I feel the wind a blowin’, slowly changing time
I’d like to be that wind, I’d swirl and the shape sky
I smell the flowers blooming, opening for spring
I’d like to be those flowers, open to everything
I feel the seasons change, the leaves, the snow and sun
I’d like to be those seasons, made up and undone
I taste the living earth, the seeds that grow within
I’d like to be that earth, a home where life begins
I see the moon a risin’, reaching into night
I’d like to be that moon, a knowing glowing light
I know the silence as the world begins to wake
I’d like to be that silence as the morning breaks
Away But Never Gone
(Nicky Mehta, SOCAN 2009)
The moon’s on its way to its nightly shift
The frogs fill the creek below
The tall grass waves a farewell to the day
The wind moans sweet and low
The heron tucks his head in his wing
The fish in the lake float along
The sun sinks from sight
Away but never gone
The dawn brings the dew like a thousand jewels
A nest rustles high on a bough
A blue egg stays warm in the cool of the morn
Under a red breast of down
The clouds turn and stretch, the moon checks its wrist
gathers itself with a yawn
And winks to the sun
Away but never gone
And all o’er the world as it turns and it turns
the stars twinkle off and on
And we come and go
Away but never gone
Storm Comin’
(Ruth Moody, SOCAN 2009)
When that storm comes
Don’t run for cover
When that storm comes
Don’t run for cover
When that storm comes
Don’t run for cover
Don’t run from the comin’ storm cause there ain’t no use in runnin’
When that rain falls
Let it wash away
When that rain falls
Let it wash away
When that rain falls
Let it wash away
Let it wash away, that falling rain, the tears and the trouble
When those lights flash
Then you’ll hear that thunder roar
When those lights flash
You’ll hear that thunder roar
When those lights flash
You’ll hear that thunder roar
Will you listen to that thunder roar and let your spirit soar
When that love calls
Will you open up your door
When that love calls
Will you open up your door
When that love calls
Will you open up your door
You gotta stand on up and let it in, you gotta let love through your door
When that storm comes
Don’t run for cover
When that storm comes
Don’t run for cover
When that storm comes
Don’t run for cover
Don’t run from the comin’ storm
Cause you cant keep a storm from comin’
Mona Louise
(Heather Masse, 2009, Winged Way, BMI)
I’m gonna sing till my feet turn blue
I’ll sing loud enough to go through
the mountains to you
I’m gonna dance when the music stops
When soft hearts they can’t sit still
Oh wake up the day
Darken the night
Lighten my eyelids cause I don’t wanna sleep
While you’re shining so bright
Sweet Mona Louise
I’m gonna carry your picture
Til I fix up a place down the stream
It might be a long time till we’re catching rainbow trout
But don’t you doubt cause we always will
Oh wake up the day
Darken the night
Lighten my eyelids cause I don’t wanna sleep
While you’re shining so bright
Sweet Mona Louise
The waterfall will rock your little song to sleep
The light will spark your heart and you’ll rise up to keep
All the simple gifts that shine everywhere I see
Shine for me Mona Louise
So wake up the day
Darken the night
Lighten my eyelids cause I don’t wanna sleep
While you’re shining so bright
Sweet Mona Louise
Sweet dreams
Bright Morning Stars
(Trad., arr. By The Wailin’ Jennys, SOCAN 2009)
Bright morning stars are rising
Bright morning stars are rising
Bright morning stars are rising
Day is a breaking in my soul
Oh where are our dear Fathers
Oh where are our dear Fathers
They are down in the valley a praying
Day is a breaking in my soul
Oh where are our dear Mothers
Oh where are our dear Mothers
They are gone to heaven a shouting
Day is a breaking in my soul
Bright morning stars are rising
Bright morning stars are rising
Bright morning stars are rising
Day is a breaking in my soul
Across the Sea
(Heather Masse, 2009, Winged Way, BMI)
I see your face across the sea
You’re in the waves, surrounding me
I hear your voice call on the breeze
On this ship out on the ocean
Sailing across the sea on a big ship on the ocean
The moon is rising in the east the stars hang down around her
The bow is arrowed to the hearts of the ones we wish to come home to
But the newly lit night directs this flight singing the ocean road will guide you
I see your face across the sea
You’re in the waves, surrounding me
I hear your voice call on the breeze
On this ship out on the ocean
When I wake I’ll cast my anchor down and dive below
I’ll dive into my lover’s arms we’ll warm the ocean’s cold
Across the sea and to our home we’ll meet again so soon
You’ll be with me across the sea on this ship out on the ocean
I see your face across the sea
You’re in the waves, surrounding me
I hear your voice call on the breeze
On this ship out on the ocean
Asleep At Last
(Ruth Moody, SOCAN 2009)
Be my asleep at last
Kiss me slow and hold me fast
Be my sail and be my mast
In the blue forever cast your love
Far from pain and past
Be my this one’s meant to last
Be my I want nothing more
Pull the blinds and lock the door
Be my calm after the storm
In the winter wind my warm
Be my anchor be my moor
Pull my heart onto your shore
And I could be the one to make you see that you could be the one for me
If you could be the one to tell me true that I could be the one for you
Be my uncovering
Every colour opening
Be my gills and be my wings
I’ll be queen to your king
And I will show you everything
A vow that doesn’t need a ring
And I could be the one to make you see that love is all we’ll ever need
If you could be the one to see it through see that I’m the one for you
Ruth would like to acknowledge Aoife O’Donovan for the line “I’ll be queen to your king.”
What Has Been Done
(Nicky Mehta, SOCAN 2009)
Half mile from the riverside
Square wood building hard and white
I’ll take water, I’ll take night
I will swim through snow and ice
Laid your story down on me
forced inside the good belief
Now I only dream my words
fly away like blackened birds
Oh I feel these lessons burn inside the person I’ve become
Edges curl and darken as I do what has been done
Cheek on floorboard, hand in fire
little sister dressed in white
Last day she was seen alive
walking to the riverside
We will never get to hide from it
no matter how we run
All things come to find us
and we’ll do what has been done
Have your holy, I’ll have mine
soil and birch and open sky
All our stories some day go
dust from air and earth from bone
Oh I hear the ancients calling
that we’ll know from where we’ve come
there on that horizon we will see what has been done
Cherry Blossom Love
(Heather Masse, 2009, Winged Way, BMI)
She waited under wildwood, under maple and pine
Wondering when her cherry blossom love would arrive
He once was a young man in love with a girl like me
They’d sit alone together under a cherry blossom tree
Time would turn their sunny day like magic into dusk
A single moment suddenly a year passed by in love
But then he was gone
He was gone
She searched for him then sat beneath their tree and sang this song
I’ll wait for your return my love under our cherry blossom tree
And if you cannot meet me there I’ll try another tree
I’ll sit beneath a hemlock
I’ll sit below a pine
I’ll sit under the peach tree where you told me you were mine
I’ll wait for you through winter when all the leaves have died
I’ll wait for you to come to me with snow tears in my eyes
All is gone from me today and till the end of time
Her hair grew gray and blossoms layered her body like a vine
The blossoms planted seeds and cherries fell across her chest
They covered the ground around and muffled her request
The Cherry lady laden with the saddest fruit to bear
The sweetest juice left bitter proof of love’s uncertain care
Cause he was gone
He was gone
She searched for him then sat beneath their tree and sang this song
I’ll wait for your return my love under our cherry blossom tree
and if you cannot meet me there I’ll never ever be free
You Are Here
(Ruth Moody, SOCAN 2009)
You wonder why you wonder when
You wonder how now and then
How you became who you’ve become
You are here
And yet you dream of being there
Of being where you think the good life has begun
Every darkened hallway
Every fallen dream
Every battle lost and
Every shadow in between
Will bring you to your knees and
Closer to the reason
And there’s no making cases
For getting out or trading places
And there’s no turning back
No you are here
Who can say who made the choice
In the matter of your birth
Who brought about that fateful day
Well you are here and born with fire and desire
You’re the only one can stand in your own way
And every broken arrow
Every hardened smile
Every foolish gamble and
Every lonely mile
Will bring you to your knees and
Closer to the reason
And there’s no making cases
For getting out or trading places
And there’s no turning back
No you are here
And every sign of love
Every seed that’s growing
Every sweet surrender
To that silent knowing
Will bring you to your knees and
Closer to the reason
And there’s no making cases
For getting out or trading places
And there’s no turning back
No you are here
Last Goodbye
(Nicky Mehta SOCAN 2009)
I hear the wrecking ball
sure on the path, no thought for the old
But the fault lines were there so how much should we care
we’re broken in two from the day we are born
But you’ll not hear any more of this said
You’re singing a song that’s been stuck in your head
You say, I’ll tell you how we’ll both make it through to the end
And then you will see that I love you
you’ll rest with me all our nights
You say, I know a place where your heart can be safe
and you’ve said your last goodbye
I hear every word that you say
taking it in like an old fairy tale
Through for better or worse and the promise of verse
you make it seem real, like its all here to stay
But see how the wind it blows, all the birds scatter
and I’m out here alone
You say I know your favourite song and I’ll sing you back home
And then you will see that I love you
you’ll rest with me all our nights
You say I know a place where your heart can be safe
and you’ve said your last goodbye
So let it come down
let it come
And then you will see that I love you
you’ll rest with me all our nights
I know a place where your heart can be safe
and you’ve said your last goodbye