SONG LYRICS FOR “BORDER SKIES”

ONCE I LOVED

Trad

Once I loved with deep affection

One who’s thought were dear to me

‘Til there came a dreary parting

No more will she speak to me

Go and leave me if you wish to

Never let me cross your mind

And if you think I have prove unworthy

Go and leave me I won’t mind

Many’s the night love while you lay sleeping

Dreaming of some sweet repose

And I your man lay broken hearted

Listening to the winding blow

Here’s the ring love that first you gave me

When both our hearts were deep entwined

Give it to the dark eyed sailor

He’ll never know it once was mine

            SHAKE LOOSE THE BORDER

Kaley/Fleming

When summer green turns golden brown

The Border heart is roused

These hands that turn the stone to soil

Are laying down the plough

And as the last night of September flies

To face the winter snows

They gather as the ember dies

Steel bonnets lance and bows

Shake loose the Border

Shake the Border loose

It’s murder black in Murder’s Rack

Shake the Border, Shake the Border loose.

Through Kielder’s Edge to One Man’s Land

His cattle strung to drive

Four hundred head lie grazing low

The ground hard fast and dry

No moon to light the Reiver’s path

Still none to shine on steel

Close by his side a blade he knows

Another man must feel

A changing wind the moon is full

To dance on lance and chain

No fear of hangman’s shadow now

As arrows fall like rain

And it’s blood for blood and pride for prize

The Devil take this ground

No man will catch the spurs that fly

In the chase before the hounds

WATER OF TYNE

Trad

I cannot get to my love if I would die

The Water of Tyne runs between him and me

And here I must stand with a tear in my e’e

Both sighing and sickly my sweetheart to see

Oh where is the boatman my bonnie hinny

Oh where is the boatman oh bring him to me

To ferry me over the Tyne to my honey

And I will remember the boatman and thee

Oh bring me a boatman I’ll give any money

And you for your trouble rewarded shall be

To ferry me over the Tyne to my honey

Or scull him across that rough river to me

WALTZING’S FOR DREAMERS

Thompson

Oh play me a blues song and fade down the light

I’m sad as a proud man can be sad tonight

Just let me dream on, oh just let me sway

While the sweet violins and the saxophones play

Miss, you don’t know me, but can’t we pretend

That we care for each other ‘til the band reach the end

One step for aching

Two steps for breaking

Waltzing’s for dreamers and losers in love

One step for sighing

Two steps for crying

Waltzing’s for Dreamers and losers in love

Now they say love’s for gamblers, oh the pendulum swings

I bet all on love and I lost everything

So don’t send me home now, put a shot in my arm

And we drink out old memories, and we’ll drink in the dark

And Mr. Bandleader, won’t you play one more time

For I’ve good folding money in this pocket of mine

SAIL FAR

                                                                                         Dinning

I’m alone, don’t you think about me

Noone tells me what I should be

‘Cos when I cry I always know why

Never thinking I won’t get by

Sail far with me tonight

Sail high with me

Like the ships in a shining sea

Like the ships in a shining sea

I’m alone and I’ll stay that way

You’ll never change, and I’ll have my say

A broken heart can be mended in time

To make me stay here would be a crime

I don’t need your pretty lies

Just hold me tight ‘til the sunrise

Pretty lies take me nowhere

So don’t pretend that you really care

You best believe it my way is true

No sense in feeling choked up and blue

The days are hungry and the nights are dry

And when it’s over I’ll reach for the sky

ELIBANKS AND ELIBRAES

Burns

Oh Elibanks and Elibraes

It was but aince I saw ye

But all my days I’ll sing your praise

Whoever may miscall ye

Your trees were in their freshest bloom

Your birds were singing cheery

When through your waving yellow broom

I wandered wi’ my dearie

How sweet the siller morning sped

In cheerful contemplation

How fast the golden gloaming fled

In loving conversation

Now doon the bank and up the brae

How could I ever weary

In sic a place on sic a day

Wi’ sic a bonnie dearie

Oh Elibanks and Elibraes

Ay pleasant be your waters

May all your sons hae winning ways

And lovely be your daughters

My life tae me maun surely be

Existence dull and dreary

If I forget the day we met

When I was wi’ my dearie

WALL OF DEATH

Thompson

Let me ride on the Wall of Death one more time

Let me ride on the Wall of Death one more time

You can waste your time on the other rides

This is the nearest to being alive

Oh let me take my chances on the Wall of Death

You can go with the crazy people in the Crooked House

You can fly away on a rocket or spin in the Mouse

The Tunnel of Love might amuse you

Noah’s Ark might confuse you

But let me take my chances on the Wall of Death

On the Wall of Death all the world seems far from me

On the Wall of Death it’s the nearest to being free

Well you’re going nowhere when you ride on the Carousel

I may be as strong, but what’s the good of ringing a bell

The Switchback will make you crazy

Beware of the Painted Lady

But let me take my chances on the Wall of Death

BONNY AT MORN

Trad

The sheep are in the meadow

And the kye is in the corn

Thou’s ower lang in thy bed, bonny at morn

Canny at neet, bonny at morn

Thou’s ower lang in thy bed

Bonny at morn

The bird is in the bushes

And the trout is in the burn

Thy hinders thy mother at many’s a turn

We’re all laid idle

Wi’ keeping the bairns

The lad will not work

And the lass will not learn

THE BORDER

Munro

The white line’s etched upon my brain

The motorway the country lane

My backward glance is all in vain

I’ve different fruits to savour

From silent towns to city light

Strange sounds and unfamiliar sights

I try and try with all my might

To truly love my neighbour

For England’s lovely as a rose

Ireland’s beauty’s made to order

But I have need of none of those

When I make it to the Border

To this new land for others’ sake

I cut the thread, I made the break

A different future’s claim to stake

Leaving what, I’ll never know

Here are the ones I love the best

And here I’ll leave my heart’s bequest

For here I’ll take my final rest

And happy that it’s so

Australia holds my heart and home

To part would bring disorder

But something stirs within my soul

When I make it to the Border

And when I sit, and when I dream

Of here and there, the constant theme

Is that things are always as they seem

I am what history’s made me

For it isn’t something that you’d choose

An exile’s heart that’s torn in two

But still I wouldn’t start anew

Or change where fate has led me

I’ve circled round this globe apace

Life’s witness and recorder

But everything falls into place

When I make it to the Botder

Yes, everything falls into place

When I make it to the Border

RED IS THE ROSE

Trad

Come over the hills, my bonnie Irish lass

Come over the hills to your darling

You’ll choose the rose, love and I’ll make the vow

And I’ll be your true love for ever

Red is the rose that in yonder garden grows

And fair is the lily of the valley

Clear is the water that flows from the Boyne

But my love is fairer than any

‘Twas down by Killarney’s green woods that we strayed

When the moon and the stars they were shining

The moon shone its rays on her locks of golden hair

And she swore she’d be my love for ever

It’s not for the parting that my sister pains

It’s not for the grief of my mother

It’s all for the loss of my bonnie Irish lass

That my heart is broken for ever

I’M LOOKING FOR MY OWN LONE RANGER

Dore/Ross

I’m looking for my own Lone Ranger

Don’t wanna follow yours anymore

Don’t wanna be the lonely Tonto in the picture

Staring out across horizons like before

You gotta have your own Lone Ranger

Somebody riding out just for you

Someone who’s gonna keep a watch until the morning

And you know you’re safe because his aim is true

Miles way, it was miles away

I first heard your voice out on the breeze

Now coyotes bark, and the night is so dark

I need someone to rescue me

Somebody like my own Lone Ranger

To come riding out of nowhere just for me

Someone to take the reins and circle all the wagons

Set a fire for our cowboy jamboree

I’m looking for my own Lone Ranger

Don’t wanna follow yours anymore

Don’t wanna be the lonely Tonto in the picture

Staring out across horizons like before

You gotta have your own Lone Ranger

Somebody riding out just for you

‘Til the stars go in

And I can breathe again

And I can ride out on my own