1. |
What Birds Are
03:01
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WHAT BIRDS ARE
there’s dew on the grass of a softly born morning
we always look skywards to see what is coming
first there’s a rustle, an olive tree shaking
and then without warning the earth begins moving
moving
the air becomes thick with the dust of the war
young men look ahead in familiar order
their beautiful faces, unknowing and gracious
our fledglings are flying over the border
flying
when the bombs start to fall a day that glimpsed summer
with a sky that was bright has now turned its back
and after the slaughter, a bloody disaster
the skylark returns silhouetted in black
singing
there’s dew on the grass of a softly born morning
we always look skywards to see what is coming
and this time the sound is a thousand wings flapping
this time the sound is birds being doing what birds are
birds being doing what birds are
birds being doing what birds are
birds being doing what birds are
there’s dew on the grass of a softly born morning
we always look skywards to see what is coming
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2. |
Lines
05:12
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LINES
there is a cord that hangs below
these are the lines we follow
there is a cord that hangs above
the lines we draw together
a cord that flexes to the ground
these are the lines we follow
it tugs and pulls as i climb down
the lines we draw together
i see early morning rain
these are the lines we follow
her jet black hair unravelling
the lines we draw together
i see you swimming in the river
these are the lines we follow
see you riding past the prisoners
the lines we draw together
red flags hanging from the window
these are the lines we follow
all weighted down with grief and sorrow
the lines we draw together
it’s the night before the last train
these are the lines we follow
how beautiful and how mundane
are the lines we draw together
i’m sorry i can’t stay too long
these are the lines we follow
it’s an earthly nest i rest upon
the lines we draw together
a cord that flexes to the sky
these are the lines we follow
it tugs and pulls and i start to climb
the lines we draw together
the tangle of our dying words
the bundles of baby clothes
the knotted threads of all we know now
these are the lines we follow
the tug, the pull, the circle
of skin and bone and feather
constantly unravel
the lines we draw together
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3. |
Traces
08:30
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walk backwards and you’ll see
what we have left behind
walk forwards and you’ll see
what we have still to find
turn me around
i don’t want to see clearly anymore
spin me around
i have seen enough of war
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4. |
Fire
05:10
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hush, don’t sing!
you can’t sing those songs anymore
though you sing of green and pleasant lands
they burned the evidence
the arguments for joy
in case we forget again
that we were born to kill for love
which is not real love
but it’s warming the cold evening and the others went before us
collecting sticks from the woods to feed the flames
that will suck the air from around us
we will drown before the thunder comes
we’ll go outside and build a fire
we’ll go out in all the gardens and pile it higher and higher
and as we watch it all burn the sun will go
the ground will blacken where an old wind blows
we’ll be here in the same old place
with smoke in our hair and soot on our faces, love
oh careless, careless, careless love
we are short sighted
we are blinded by the pull of one side on the other side
it tugs at our skin and we let it in
just to keep peace with the neighbours
just to quieten the din, love
i’ll follow you outside, we’ll build a fire
we’ll take things from all the gardens and pile it higher and higher
and as we watch it all burn the sun will go
the ground will blacken where an old wind blows
we’ll be here in the same old place
with blood on our hands and guilty faces
and the oldest excuses, love
oh careless, careless, careless love
it always starts slow
the promise of belonging
the promise of belonging
the promise of belonging drowns us in it’s shivering skin and to belong,
we all stop talking
hush, don’t sing!
you can’t sing those songs anymore, grandmother
though you sing of green and pleasant lands
they’ve been covered over
in the darkest of colours
from the smoke of a fire
which still hangs above us...
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5. |
Brave
04:08
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they’ll call him brave right after it’s over
but before he left
he was as scared as ever
smiling horseman, half blind farmer
smiling horseman, shy young father
they’ll call him brave
for reluctantly going
and then a lucky one
when the scars aren’t showing
knitting, stitching, holding together
knitting, stitching, carrying on
five years away
they said: wait for a letter
five years away
he’s dead, said the neighbours
smiling horseman ...
five years away
so we thought that we’d lost you
we said goodbye to you
and the baby brother
knitting, stitching ...
then came a card,
from the forests of russia
in simple words
i’ll be home soon, lover
smiling horseman ...
the frame of you
came home for the winter you built us a roof,
that we could all live under
knitting, stitching ...
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6. |
Sky
02:29
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above barbed wire prisons, watchtowers and mud puddles
the sky is full of birds
beyond this forgotten mountain, this darkened island
the sky is full of birds
although our sickness grows each day and our sorrow breeds in each new face
the sky is full of birds
despite our eyes which blink onto the page that shouts death and death again
the birds are high and the sky is full of them
above the purple lupin field, swaying in the best sunsets of my life
the sky is full of birds
the rare metal of birdsong
the clashing guns of birdsong
the wailing prayer of birdsong
and warning sirens birdsong
the prisoners of birdsong
the transport trains of birdsong
the screaming hope of birdsong
oh, we are slow singers
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7. |
Long Walk Home
05:00
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8. |
Walls
05:07
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9. |
Sorrow
04:44
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10. |
Keep Breathing
07:55
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Rowan Rheingans Sheffield, UK
Rowan Rheingans is an award-winning fiddle player, banjoist, songwriter and theatre-maker widely regarded as one of the foremost innovators in folk music today. Best known for her work with acclaimed bands Lady Maisery, The Rheingans Sisters and Songs of Separation, Rowan has won two BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards (‘Best Original Track’ in 2016 & ‘Best Album’ in 2017) and is a six-times nominee. ... more
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