1. |
1982
03:43
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I was born in 1982
It was dry and I never learned to swim
I was born in 1982
A famine year amongst famine years
And I’m skinny still
People often say this year’s like 1982
People often say that it feels just like 1982
When the rain never fell and the grass never grew
A mountain of forest had turned to tinder
Just waiting for a match to set it free
50 million tonnes of soil
Took to the sky and was blown out to sea
People often say this year’s like 1982
People often say that it feels just like 1982
When the rain never fell and the grass never grew
Keep on trailing grain for ghosts
Our eyes to the sky, we live in hope
We get down on our knees to pray
What the wind brings it’ll take away
People often say this year’s like 1982
People often say that it feels just like 1982
When the rain never fell and the grass never grew
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2. |
The Wind Blew West
05:16
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One January morning the wind blew west
And Mama woke up to an empty bed
Nothing in the drawers but the note he'd scrawled
Said "You're always on my mind, but the highway called"
Sank down to her knees on the cold hard floor
And waited there for hours with her eyes on the door
The belly in her hand it was soft and warm
And she could hear the words from the babe unborn
Saying "No, my mother, don't you cry
Gonna start a new life now, just you and I
No, my mother, don't you weep
There's a lot of love left here for you and me"
Forty days gone, not a word she'd heard
And father shows up like a vagrant bird
Took the flowers from his hand even though they'd died
Led him through the door, wiped the tears from his eyes
Saying "No, my darling, don't you cry
We're gonna start a new life now, we'll get by
No, my darling, don't you weep
There's a lot of love left here between you and me"
One January morning the wind blew west
And Mama woke up to an empty bed
Nothing in the drawers but the note he'd scrawled
Said "You're always on my mind by the red road called"
And my mother she said "I'll take my chances alone"
And my mother she said "I'll take my chances alone"
And my mother she said "I'll take my chances alone"
And my mother she said "I'll take my chances alone"
And my mother she said "I'll take my chances alone"
And my mother she said "I'll take my chances alone"
And my mother she said "I'll take my chances alone"
And my mother she said "I'll take my chances alone"
And my mother she said "I'll take my chances alone"
And my mother she said "I'll take my chances alone"
And my mother she said "I'll take my chances alone"
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3. |
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Who's gonna save you darlin'? Who’s gonna save you when you fall?
Before they come to take you down, take your picture off the wall
Who's gonna wait until you're strong? I hope it's not too long
Let me know if you're alone before I come to take you home
When will you come to your senses?
When will you fall for me?
Oh yeah, the truth is in the telling darlin', every lover's got to learn
Oh, I remember every word you said, what's left you will return
If you tell me one more lie, our love will surely die
Let me know if you're alone before I come to take you home
When will you come to your senses?
When will you fall for me?
Sooner or later darlin', your eyes will open to the sun
Oh yeah you're gonna have to face the morning
There'll be nowhere else to run
Let me wait until you're strong, I hope it's not too long
Let me know if you're alone before I come to take you home
When will you come to your senses?
When will you fall for me?
My love, you can't deny it
You won't know until you try it
So give it air, let it breathe
Let it burn like a fire, I can't contain my desire
So give it air, let it breathe
When will you come to your senses?
When will you fall for me?
Who's gonna save you darlin'? Who’s gonna save you when you fall?
Before they come to take you down, take your picture off the wall
Who's gonna wait until you're strong? I hope it's not too long
Let me know if you're alone before I come to take you home
When will you come to your senses?
When will you fall for me?
When will you come to your senses?
When will you fall for me?
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4. |
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There’s a black bird singing at my open window
Telling me to leave cause there’s a whole world outside
I’m tired of these four walls
And I don’t know where the days go
Got nowhere to run so we stay home and hide
And I know it’s making me crazy
The way the sun goes down without saying goodbye
And my bones feel hollow and lazy
Is it any wonder why?
But give me fields of yellow, and give me skies of gold
A running river in the summer, an open fire for when it’s cold
Just don’t leave me hiding in a concrete tower
Getting older by the hour
It’s pouring down outside but I don’t know where the rains go
The city streets have their own way to cry
I need to feel the cold wind
I need to hear it blow
Follow the rains to where the dark waters flow
‘Cause I know it’s making me crazy
The way the sun goes down without saying goodbye
The way all the edges are hazy
The way the days roll by
But give me fields of yellow, and give me skies of gold
A running river in the summer, an open fire for when it’s cold
Just don’t leave me hiding in a concrete tower
Getting older by the hour
‘Cause oh, how the forest sings, how the forest sings
And oh, what the river brings, what the river brings
Give me fields of yellow, and give me skies of gold
A running river in the summer, an open fire for when it’s cold
Just don’t leave me hiding in a concrete tower
Getting older by the hour, no, no
Getting older by the hour, no, no
In a concrete tower, no, no
Getting older by the hour, no, no
Getting older by the hour
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5. |
Dan's Journey
04:16
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I don’t know how long I’ve been walking for
A golden blanket is beginning to fall
And I can tell I’ve got a look in my eyes
I keep on walking but I’m tired
Morning comes, it gets me by surprise
Take me back to looking in your eyes
It took so long for me to realise
That the granite hills could break my heart
(Dan’s Journey - Continued)
And I slept underneath Hardigan’s Bridge
At the bottom of a Theaden Ridge
There was no water in the Jew’s Harp Creek
And I don’t know if I was asleep
When morning came and took me by surprise
Take me back to looking in your eyes
It took so long for me to realise that
The granite hills could break my heart
A lizard on a rock, I’d lost all hope
And then my eyes fell on the Sugarloaf
And it spoke to me like some worn out beast
Calling me to follow East
Morning came and took me by surprise
Get me back to looking in your eyes
It was a lifetime for me to realise that
The granite hills could break my heart
And if I have to walk a thousand kays
I’ll do it gladly just to see your face
But if you make me choose, you’ll lose every time
One day Sidonia will be mine
Morning comes, it gets me by surprise
Get me back to looking in your eyes
It was a lifetime before I realised that
The granite hills could break my heart
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6. |
The Briny Blue
03:16
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All the world is like a mirror here
I fell into a dream, and I woke in someone else’s shoes
The life we had is over now
Though my love for you burns ever strong
Louder than the wind, brighter than the Atlantic sun
For now this is where I belong
But my god I miss you, I didn’t plan it this way
I never thought I’d need to stay
And now I look out on the briny blue, and think of you
So let me sing it in a song so you’ll know how I feel
When I can’t find the courage to tell you
I was broken and alone, I didn’t know what was real
And I can’t find another way to tell you
That my god I miss you, I didn’t plan it this way
I never thought I’d wanna stay
And when I look out on the briny blue, I think of you
But my god I miss you, I didn’t plan it this way
I never thought I’d wanna stay
And when I look out on the briny blue, I think of you
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7. |
Oh Mercy
04:07
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And when I’m whistling down the wind
A spider underneath my skin
Oh mercy, oh mercy
And was it raining when I awoke?
That sinking feeling’s back again
Oh mercy, oh mercy
And when I fall I break, and silently we wait
I hear you crying out at night
And it’s then I see the one you feed
Oh mercy, oh mercy
And I walked everywhere with you
The Coliban River in our rear view
Oh mercy, oh mercy
In the night it gets so cold
The woolen blankets I sink below
Oh mercy, oh mercy
And if you leave me I’ll be cursed
You stick around, it might be worse
Oh mercy, oh mercy
And when I fall I break, and silently we wait
I only hurt when I feel pain
The morning comes, it’s back again
Oh mercy, oh mercy
I’ll slip away into the night
My final gift, there’ll be no fight
Oh mercy, oh mercy
And when I fall I break
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8. |
Lost
04:19
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The sun is on our faces, the wind is in the trees
And we’ve talked more than we have in ages today
Now I’m searching through the pages
Of the map we didn’t need
Kind of sorry that I let you lead the way
Now the sun hangs low
My legs are getting weary
And I can’t feel my toes
We rise above the snow line
Feeling hungry tired and free
All alone here, just you and me
Yeah it’s you, and it’s me
And I think we’re lost baby, I think we’re lost baby
Yeah it’s you, and it’s me
And I think we’re lost baby, just like we want to be
Now I’m tired, nearly sleeping where I stand
Yeah you sure did put me through my paces today
So we find ourselves some sheltered ground
Not exactly where we’d planned
But I wouldn’t have it any other way
Now the moon hangs pale
The valley’s all in shadow now
The stars are like a veil
We’re huddled in our sleeping bags
Drinking whiskey with our tea
All alone here, just you and me
Yeah it’s you, and it’s me
And I think we’re lost baby, I think we’re lost baby
Yeah it’s you, and it’s me
And I think we’re lost baby, just like we want to be
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9. |
Bullets in the Grass
04:15
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The sisters looked down on us
We found a spot where there was bullets in the grass
And a dirt road that leads to town
The chain over spokes going round and round
And I imagined a girl who lived over the creek
And I imagined a world where the two of us would meet
Ellie ran through the grass
The tears streaming down as she followed the ruts
And they locked us away, shut the door
But I saw him lying there on the dining room floor
And I imagined a girl who lived over the creek
And I imagined a world where the two of us would meet
He parked his car down Annek Lane
The negative thoughts were alive in his brain
And the grass burned out of control
All of life’s burdens had taken its toll
And I imagined a girl who lived over the creek
And I imagined a world where the two of us would meet
The sisters looked down on us
We found a spot where there was bullets in the grass
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10. |
This Time
05:09
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I found you on the front porch
With a letter in your hand
Your heart upon the pages
Hoping I could find a way to understand
I watched you in the doorway
Face of marble heart of stone
Head full of the many wrongs
For which we cannot atone
Why have you come here?
Why do you stay?
I have no need for all those silly games we play
So no I will not hear you
No I will not weep
But you looked at me with wide eyes and gently laid
Love and sorrow at my feet
And said I’m ready this time
I drank in those warm words
Felt a hot tear on my skin
Felt the marble crumble
If we’re not done, tell me where do we begin?
Let me come into the kitchen
Lay the table pour the wine
Put some wood on the fire and close it down
We’re gonna need a bit of time
If you’re ready, to be mine
I think I’m ready, this time
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11. |
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At last my ship will soon run aground
No more dark deep
Where you dreamed I would drown
The salt on my skin will whiten your gown
And heave way those lonely nights of mine
You said we’d be wed on the morning I moored
I dropped to my knee, not the way that I foresaw
I wave at your window, I storm at your door
My head is still swimming
My eyes pitch, yaw and roll
That your love, could ebb and flow
So go down, my ship, O lost soul go down
In the morning rip I’m bound to tear out
Let my bow dip for the new bed I’ve found
Will heave way those lonely nights of mine
Heave way those lonely nights of mine
Heave way those lonely nights of mine
Heave way
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Valley Road VIC, Australia
Valley Road winds through rolling basalt hills in Central Victoria, connecting two friends, Rebecca Jane Howell and Marty Mckenna, who have been singing together for over a decade. They weave their experiences into songs of people and place (usually sitting around Marty’s farmhouse kitchen table), bringing an Australian perspective to their diverse folk influences. ... more
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