1. |
The mermaid
04:05
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the mermaid
as I walked out one evening fair
far out of sight of land
I spied a mermaid sitting on a rock
with a comb and a glass in her hand
with a comb and a glass in her hand
combing down her gorse coloured hair
eyes like a pale june sky
Skin shone as white as the ocean spray
her voice wept a seagulls cry
her voice wept a seagulls cry
the song she sang she sang so wild
no answer at all could I make
til at length our ship she blew round about
which made all our poor hearts ache
which made all our poor hearts ache
this mermaid sprang back into the deep
the winds began to blow
now the hail and the rain was so dark in the air
we'll never see the land no more
no we'll never see the land no more
come take out your loads as fast as you can
truth to you I tell
for this night we all must depart
to heaven or else to hell
to heaven or else to hell
come all you folks thats living on the land
living at home at your ease
try the best that you can your living for to make
never incline to the sea
no never incline to the sea
as I walked out...


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2. |
The fall
05:34
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the fall
long days of summer and lying on the ground
the sweet smell of roses
and you running round
and then blood on your cheek, blood on your hand,
blood on your tiny shoe
oh the cut will heal but all I knew
it was hard to see you fall
it was hard to see you fall
it was hard to see you fall
hard to see you fall
sun on the lemons of the holy land
a young boy is running with a stone in his hand
then the soldiers come, soldiers come
the boy is standing tall
she found his body underneath the wall
it was hard to see him fall
it was hard to see him fall
it was hard to see him fall
hard to see him fall
late in the summer and the first day back at school
women carry flowers and the babies too
but then the strangers come, strangers come,
their hearts are hard from war
children run, children run
their blood on the floor
and it was hard to watch them fall
it was hard to watch them fall
it was hard to watch them fall
and it's still hard
how did we fall this far?
so far from the garden
she said it feels like the end today
she said it feels like the end
of the world
( palestinian folk song in arabic )
cysga di fy mhlentyn tlws
( sleep now my jewel child )
cysga di fy mhlentyn tlws
sleep now my little one
safe now my little one
dream now
words and music : julie murphy
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3. |
When Georgia paints
05:02
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when georgia paints
when georgia paints a flower
her eyes refining, desert colours shining
when joseph plants the oak trees of seven thousand
a city all around them
when emily writes
when emily writes
pain has an element of blank
it has no future but itself
its infinite contain it's past
when emily writes
when emily writes
when amy sings of losing
her soul is soaring
vanishing the waring
when nina sings of freedom
and life affirming
every word is burning
when emily writes
when nina sings of freedom
when amy sings of losing
sings of losing
her soul is soaring
when amy sings
when emily writes
when emily writes
words and music : julie murphy
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4. |
To a little girl
08:12
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to a little girl
to a little girl standing on a pier
birds screaming high in the sky
couldn't dance, couldn't move
just staring at her shoes
to a little girl running on a beach
wind blowing warm through her hair
sand and sea
the smiling strangers stop and stare
strangers stop and stare
quiet the streets you came back to
quiet the land the sky
where are the men where are the boys?
they lie is fields of poppies, poppies
quiet the streets you came back to
quiet the land the sky
where are the men where are the boys?
they lie in fields of poppies, poppies
now
poppies now
a man is standing on a railway track
another calling out his name
a man is lying on a railway track
a mothers son, a brothers pain
the sound is rising in the black and white
a curtain closing on a dream
silent staring in the black and white
a silent ending on a screen
I thought of you as the keys fell under my fingers
and how you learned to play yourself
no dots no lessons
just a natural flowing from your soul
through your fingers on the piano
in the air, sharing with the people that you
met in the pub and brought home to the house
in the small hours when grandma was asleep
grandma was asleep
singing together
laughing drinking
drinking in the company of strangers
of strangers
who became friends
who became friends
words julie murphy
music julie murphy and ceri owen jones
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5. |
May Colvin
07:32
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may colvin
false sir john a wooing came
to a lady young and fair
may colvin was this lady's name
and her fathers only heir
her fathers only heir
he wooed her while they spun the thread
and while they made the hay
until he gained her low consent
to mount and ride away
to mount and ride away
it's bring me some of your fathers gold
and some of your mothers fee
I'll take you to a far away land
and there I'll marry thee
and there I'll marry thee
she's gone into her fathers coffa
where all of his money lay
she's taken the yellow snd left the white
and lightly skipped away
and lightly skipped away
she's gone into her fathers stable
where all of his steeds did stand
she's taken the best
and left the worst
in all of her fathers lands
in all of her fathers lands
she's mounted on the milk white steed
and he on the dapple grey
and they rode til they came
to a lonely spot
a cliff by the side of the sea
light down light down may colvin
your bridal bed you see
it's seven women have drownded here
and the eighthen you shall be
the eighthen you shall be
cast off cast off your holland smock
with borders all around
it's too fine and costly
too rot on the cold cold ground
to rot on the cold cold ground
likewise likewise your silken stays
also your handsome shoes
for they're too fine and costly to rot in the sea with you
rot in the sea with you
cast off cast off your silks so fine
and lay them on a stone
they're too fine and costly
to rot in the salt sea foam
rot in the salt sea foam
turn around turn around then false sir john
and gaze at the leaves on the trees
for it don't become a gentleman a naked woman to see
a naked woman to see
so false sir john has turned around
to gaze at the leaves on the trees
she's made a dash with her tender arms
and pushed him into the sea
pushed him into the sea
oh help oh help may colvin
oh help or I will drown
give to me your lily white hand
and I'll lightly set you down
lightly set you down
lie there lie there now false sir john
lie there instead of me
it's seven women have drownded here
and the eighth has drownded thee
the eighth has drownded thee
she's mounted on the milk white steed
and led the dapple grey
and she's rode til she came to her fathers hall
at the breaking of the day
the breaking of the day
then up spoke the little parrot
may colvin where have you been?
and what have you done with false sir john who went with you riding?
hold your tongue hold your tongue you little parrot
and tell no tales on me
I'll give you a cage of beaten gold
with spokes of ivory
spokes of ivory
traditional arranged murphy : from the singing of the great jean ritchie
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6. |
Tonderai Ndira
05:34
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Tonderai Ndira
Tonderai Ndira
Tonderai Ndira
Tonderai Ndira
Tonderai Ndira
smiling and gentle
and tall as a baobab
you're name means remember
you're name means remember
smiling and gentle
and tall as a baobab
you're name means remember
you're name means remember
Tonderai Ndira
Tonderai Ndira
Tonderai Ndira
Tonderai Ndira
you stayed among your people
you stayed among your people
you stayed among your people when all their hope was gone
you said I may not get there with you
I may not get there with you
I may not get there with you
but a change will surely come
then they came to take you
in the first light of the morning
with your wife and children watching
early in the month of may
but your name is not forgotten
your name is not forgotten
your name is not forgotten
because your name is
love
Tonderai Ndira
Tonderai Ndira
words and music : julie murphy
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/7416933.stm
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7. |
This seaside town
06:59
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this seaside town
this seaside town is dying
boarded hotels where you drank and danced and I cleaned bedrooms burn on a june night by the light of the borialis
wake up ( mother )
from your waking dream
wake up from your waking dream
wake up and talk to your daughters
this house is dying but I want to let the light in
let the sunlight stream
and the wind rush through the flaking windows
through this slowly dying house
my fathers roses still bloom in the garden
please don't ever cut them down
this seaside town so quiet even in july
the people only come here at the weekends now
but when you were a girl delighted screams
drifted on the warm night air through your window
from the rollercoaster rising up like a giant ship at the bottom of your street
when I was a girl this seaside town was tram donkey and pier
the long bus ride from the estuary south
through northern red brick towns shining after rain
the candle tower in the distance saying
almost there
almost at the tall house with the piano
into my nana's arms and a whisky kiss
and to the smaller house
another piano
tobacco stains
grandma's stew
for two weeks every summer this seaside town
was the taste of barm cakes and the smell of the sea
a pilgrimage to see the living and talk of the dead.
so I never forgot the bloodline
and the different words for things
words and music ; julie murphy
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8. |
Soil, soul, society
04:04
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soil soul society
soil soul soil soul society
soil soul soil soul society
soil soul soil soul society
soil soul soil soul society
we came into to the world as one
with everything beneath the sun
every bird that flies
and the trees so high
all the fish that swim
are our kith and kin
soil soul soil soul society
soil soul soil soul society
soil soul soil soul society
soil soul soil soul society
a moon of red against a sky
river deep mountain high
and a boy who goes
as a river flows
every seed that grows
we must celebrate
soil soul soil soul society
soil soul soil soul society
soil soul soil soul society
soil soul soil soul society
the rain it falls it falls it falls on everyone
and it falls for free
when it falls it falls it falls on everyone
not just me
soil soul soil soul society
soil soul soil soul society
soil soul soil soul society
soil soul soil soul society
words and music : julie murphy
inspired by the words of satish kumar
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9. |
Willie Taylor
05:42
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Willie Taylor
Willie Taylor and his youthful lover
full of joy and loyalty
they were going to the church to be married
when he was pressed and sent to sea
vows and breezes fade away
vows and breezes fade away
she dressed herself up like a sailor
on her breast she wore a star
her lovely fingers so long and slender
she gave them all just a smear of tar
vows and breezes fade away
vows and breezes fade away
on the ship there being a skirmish
she was one among the rest
a silver button flew off her jacket
there appeared her milk white breast
said the captain to this fair maid
what misfortune has brought you here?
I'm in search of my true lover
who you pressed on another year
vows and breezes fade away
vows and breezes fade away
if you're in search of your true lover
tell me what might be his name
Willie Taylor they do call him
but Fitzgerald is his name
if you get up tomorrow morning
early as the break of day
there you'll spy your Willie Taylor
walking along with his lady gay
vows and breezes fade away
vows and breezes fade away
she got up the very next morning
early as the break of day
there she spied her Willie Taylor
walking along with his lady gay
she drew out a brace of pistol
that she had at her command
their she shot her Willie Taylor
and his bride at his right hand
vows and breezes fade away
vows and breezes fade away
when the captain came to hear
of the deed that she had done
he made her a ships commander
over a vessel for the isle of man
but if her name haf been Ruth Ellis
and she'd shot her lover man
he was posh
she was common
so the law said
she must
hang
vows and breezes fade away
vows and breezes
vows and breezes fade away
traditional arranged murphy
from the singing of johnny toft via sile lives and martin leamon ( sild )
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julie murphy Swansea, UK
Julie Murphy is a singer songwriter and member of Welsh folk innovators fernhill. She writes songs at the piano at home in the Welsh countryside. Her fourth solo album 'Every bird that flies' is available now
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