1. |
Bells of Norwich
02:27
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2. |
Ballads of the Sea
03:29
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BALLADS OF THE SEA
(Chuck Hall)
It was on a fine and sunny noon in the middle of the summer
My Dad brought me to Plymouth town to await the ship, "The Hunter"
She appeared on the horizon first as a tiny dot
But when she was spied we heard a cry that will never be forgotten
From my perch atop his shoulders as far as I could see
Were people standing on the shore with abandon and with glee
Families parted lo these months were finally reunited
And when she tied up to the dock her cannon it was lighted
And as the echo faded across the harbor sound
Twas the signal we'd awaited and so we gathered 'round
Mothers with their babies cried, no more to be alone
Their husbandfolk and lovers finally come home
And a bearded man with a booming voice gave the box a squeeze
And sang our joy at their return with ballads of the sea
As we boarded her I felt a wave go through me like a shiver
And I knew that not just for today, I would love the sea forever
My Father looked until he found my mother standing there
And their kiss was so impassioned it did cause the men to stare
Then the Captain raised a glass and said, "Here's to our greatest joy!
We've finally found a husband for our handsome cabin boy
So, sailor squeeze you out a tune and in a dancing key
Sing our joy to all the world with your ballads of the sea!"
Oh to hear that old man sing - like angels from above
That became the only thing thatI have ever loved
Though the decades prove she is a lover faithless as can be
I will sing my joy forever in ballads of the sea
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3. |
Down at the Old Canal
05:09
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DOWN AT THE OLD CANAL
(Chuck Hall)
With my transistor radio tight to my ear
Listening through static, trying to hear
A ballgame from Pittsburgh, Cleveland or Rochester
Watching the barges go by
Down at the old canal tonight Grandpa’s fishing, its way past midnight
I’m curled up on the rocks with a blanket and a radio
Watching the big boats, where do they come and go?
I used to ride my bike down here
On the road built by the Corps of Engineers
From the Railroad Bridge to the Trading Post
Past the Post Office, school then home
And then just to prove that I owned the place
I cast my fate to the wind in my face
And took off again like a kid on a mission you know
Oh, the days we are young, where do they come and go?
Down at the old canal, the healing waters flow
When the wind is not behind me
My tattered sails remind me
The tide will always find me and bring me to my home
My friends and family gather, they wave and welcome me
At the dock they come to meet me
To welcome and to greet me
Down at the old canal
I had a friend when I was small
And being with her was my all in all
When the whole world was a summer day
In the sea breeze on Cape Cod
I moved away, but I didn’t forget
One day she found me on the Internet
Can it really be we’re so much older now, it can’t be that long ago!
Oh, the ones that we love, where do they come and go?
My dad sold our house just before he died
It left me broken and bruised and homeless inside
Now with everything gone, I look the truth in the eye
I’m just a tourist in this world
You'll find places to rest wherever you roam
Only one will your heart call home
And you will carry it with you wherever you go
Oh the lives that we live, where do they come and go?
Down at the old canal, the healing waters flow
When I’ve lost the charts that guide me
The fog and mist may hide me
The seabirds sail beside me and bring me to my home
My friends and family gather, they wave and welcome me
At the dock they come to meet me
To welcome and to greet me
Down at the old canal
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4. |
Let the Snow Begin
02:31
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Let The Snow Begin
(Chuck Hall)
My knees were telling me last night that it might snow today
So I was not surprised to see the noontime sky turn gray
The sun it went into the clouds
The wind began to cry out loud
The snowflakes started to come down
Now let the snow begin
It cannot be prevented
It's best that we befriend it
Until the winters ended
Let the snow begin
I thought of you again last night It nearly brought me tears
Though I've not held you in my sight in nearly 30 years
You were sitting at a table
I tried to speak but was unable
Not looking up you drained your cup
I watched you walk away
It cannot be prevented
It's best that we befriend it
I've been sad since it ended
Now let the tears begin
The winter starts out with a nip then becomes too cold to sing
But always loosens up her grip in the warming sun spring
And somehow broken hearts will heal
I wonder how that's going to feel
Until the springtime suns revealed
Let the snow begin
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5. |
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THE GREEN VELVET COAT
(Chuck Hall)
Harris tweed and Irish cap
He came walking through the door like that
Into the room where we’d waited long
For the gleam in his eye and his heart full of song
Church Street, Cambridge, in ‘84
We were Boston, he was New York
It was “Shut up and sing” into the night
Then off to the Wurst House for a steak and a pint
That was then, this is now
The songs are not the same somehow
Each St. Patrick’s since he split the scene
Makes me blue at the wearing of the green
The place was packed, every seat filled
One night at the theater in Somerville
He and his friends – some he made stars
Sang some of their songs, and sang some of ours
And, oh it feels such an honor beyond
When one of your heroes sings one of your songs
We laughed for years at the Globe’s review
I said, “Man, if I don’t make it, I’m blaming you”
Repeat chorus
It was “Take no prisoners” in that state park
When we gathered for that Hosting of the Bards
We were his tribe of singing girls and boys
He was proud when the campers complained about the noise
So many times as the world turned round
I treasured each time he came to town
And preached the gospel of the bard and friend:
It’s the song, not the singer, that matters in the end
Repeat chorus
Harris tweed and Irish cap
2006, he still looked like that
In New York City, at old St. Bart’s
In the passion cantata, we sang our parts
We shook hands in the doorway, then the door was closed
There are “next times” and “last times” – this was one of those
Now in some afterlife session, filled with Guinness and smoke
He’s singing “Shoo la Rue”, in the corner, in his green velvet coat
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6. |
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The Flower of France and England
As I was on my rambles, I went from Dover to Carlyle,
The town was full of rebels and you might have heard them for a mile,
I went into "The Grapes" to see what entertainment I could find,
Not being brisk, I ran the risk, I called for a pint of wine
And there I spied this bonnie lass, the Flower of France and England.
Not being in a hurry, I for a private room did call,
They sent to me, the caddy, the lad that rings the morning bell
But in there came this brisk young dame, she "Kind Sir, come follow me
"It is not fit, that you should sit, among such roving company".
This handsome, smiling, bonnie lass, the flower of France and England
She took me to a chamber, where everything was neat and clean,
She said "Young Sir, it is not fit, you should have something on to dine".
The table soon she covered o'er, the dinner soon she did bring in,
She looked not like some idle slut, nor one that was not taught to spin
This handsome, smiling, bonnie lass, the flower of France and England.
But I could not take my dinner, for thinking on this bonnie lass
that spent her time a-scouring, among the pewter and the brass,
I rang the bell, she heard the knell and swift to me she did repair,
I said, "My dear, the table's drawn, come sit beside me on this chair,
"My handsome smiling bonnie lass, the flower of France and England"
She said "Young man, you are as bad as any in this house this night,
"For they are drunk and you are mad, or else you would not speak the like,
“Take up the cup and drink it up, and drive such fancies out by sleep,
"For if you dreamed you had me wed, I'm sure you would arise and weep."
Said this handsome smiling bonnie lass, the flower of France and England.
But I could not fall to sleeping, for thinking of this bonnie maid,
And if I could but win her, I would not care how long I stayed.
I rang the bell, she heard the knell and swift to me she did repair,
Said I "We'll to St Mary's Church, and there we will undo this care
My handsome smiling bonnie lass, the flower of France and England.
So we've go to St Mary's, and there the priest, the knot, has tied,
I've hi'ed home my bonnie bride, as fast as ever I could ride,
Thro' Scotland broad we've ta'en the road, 'til we've come to Belquiddhers Braes.
The servants all did skip and dance to see their Lord's and Lady's face.
My handsome, smiling, bonnie lass, the flower of France and England.
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7. |
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WHILE I WAS LOOKING FOR SOMETHING ELSE
(Chuck Hall)
I found the song you wrote one day rummaging through a drawer
It’s been awaiting discovery for five years maybe more
Not yellowed by sunlight, it’s been a long time since I open that drawer myself
Like all my best treasures it was found while I was looking for something else
And I really think it’s one of your best though I cannot recall the tune
I was actually looking for something I lost one blustery afternoon
Hiding beneath a layer of junk it’s been waiting patiently
All things are discovered in their proper time it must’ve been looking for me
It’s the path of the poet, the fate of the fool, a joke that the heavens play
Your destiny finds you following signs that point in another way
The promise is made if you search you will find the pearl of greatest wealth
And the greatest treasures are always found while you’re looking for something else
There’s a part of your heart that you shared in those words that made me forget where I was
And see my own life in the different way like a good song always does
Then I looked up and the sun had gone down, I couldn’t bring to mind
That thing I was looking for hours ago was not what I needed to find
It’s the path of the poet, the fate of the fool, a joke that the heavens play
Your destiny finds you following signs that point in another way
The promise is made if you search you will find the pearl of greatest wealth
And the greatest treasures are always found while you’re looking for something else
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8. |
Winter
03:41
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WINTER
(Chuck Hall)
The summer sun it has gone down
That warmed the forest all around
The leaves are falling to the ground
And trees are growing bare
The days grow shorter if you please The nights grow colder by degrees
There's a bite in every breeze:
Winter's in the air
In the woodlands there's activity
You do not usually see
The beasts and backwoods plants agree:
It's very nearly winter
There's darkness now where once was light
As days of summer turn to autumn nights
I'm gathering kindling for the rite
Of battling with winter
The winter moon is on the rise
Reflected in the rippled tide
You see your breath through starry eyes
For a moment - hanging there
The mist is freezing to the rocks The gulls conspire on the docks
They complain with all they've got: Winter's in the air
The harbormaster truly knows
The fishing's harder in the snow
She charts the storm tracks up the coast:
It's very nearly winter
But the morning sky is a diamond blue When the storming has passed through
And there's not as beautiful a view
As a perfect day in winter
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9. |
The Four Capes
05:29
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THE FOUR CAPES
(Chuck Hall)
In that first moment I opened my eyes
I saw the clouds in the sky
They were drifting along on a summer breeze
North above the rolling seas
And though the years have caused me to wander
This is the place I call home
And the breath of the breeze and the sound of the seas
Are the only peace I’ve known
This is where I was born, this is where I will die
And when my soul goes to God
It will sail on the breeze o’er the North Atlantic
Round Cape Spear, Cape Breton, Cape Ann and Cape Cod
As a babe I swam in these waters
Caught herring with my bare hands
And spent many days learning the ways
Of the ones who first blessed this land
But like them I was driven to wander
Though the fault was not my own
And like them paid a cost but still never lost
The dream of coming home
repeat chorus
I wrote a song that went north of the border
And found I had made some new friends
So I followed the road o’er the causeway to Canso
To the highlands of Ingonish
Made my way to the Newfoundland ferry
Drove east to Avalon
And it all seemed like home when I listened in silence
The wind and the ocean sang my song
repeat chorus
In the last moment my eyes are open
Let the last things I hear and see
Be the sound of the ocean calling me home
And the clouds rolling north over me
Let me sail upon them forever
With the salt and the spray and the foam
Like the sailors and saints who went on before me
I am finally home
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10. |
The Summer's Over
04:58
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THE SUMMER'S OVER
(c) Chuck Hall
The summer's over - suddenly
A chill has come upon the wind most unexpectedly
She hitched a ride on a cold front from Ontario last night
Left town like faithless love and disappeared from sight
I'll need another blanket and pull it up tight
The summer's over
The summer's over but still I hear
Vacations at the shore still laughing in my ear
Shovels, pails, paper sails, a strawberry and peach
That place where summer never ends is always out of reach
It leaves me cold and lonely when the crowds have left the beach
The summer's over
I've watched them and I know with every season past
Each summer seems to go more quickly than the last
But the winters of our discontent don't seem to end so fast
The summer's over
The summer's over - my first kiss
Was on a night in mid-July in a seaside town like this
We don't know the count of them until they all are done
And so they grow more precious every trip around the sun
You don't think about the finish line when the journey's just begun
The summer's over
I'll count the days she's been away 'til she comes back to me again
The summer's over
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11. |
I Am My Brother's Keeper
05:18
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I AM MY BROTHER'S KEEPER
(Chuck Hall)
A voice called to me in a dream
I am a heavy sleeper
The answer woke me with a scream
I am not my brother's keeper
His blood accused me from the ground
Hot anger growing deeper
But that old excuse was all I found
I am not my brother's keeper
I awoke my conscience bleeding
The sword of truth sunk deeper
The voice of justice pleading
I am my brother's keeper
For I had heard that cry today
I never once felt cheaper
For all I did was turn away
I am my brother's keeper
I cannot wash my hands free
Of my responsibility
As much as it depends on me
I am my brother's keeper
Conscience voice is unmistakable
Not confused with others
My conviction is unshakable
You are my sisters and my brothers
From the ones without a place to live
Who each night fear the reaper
To the soul I need most to forgive
I am my brother's keeper
I cannot wash my hands free
Of my responsibility
As much as it depends on me
I am my brother's keeper
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12. |
The Arches
03:49
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THE ARCHES
(Chuck Hall)
There is a magic place that stands on the coast of Newfoundland
Created by the wind and Sea, the Arches stand so silently
Eternal tide upon the shore, the wind blown through the Tuckamore
Carved four sea-caves all alone of sand and shell and sea and stone
We are not prisoners of time, we are sailors on her tide
From where we were to where we sail away
And like the Arches, we are swept away
God, the Sculptor’s hand creates what man so poorly imitates
And God has made all things in time subject to that changing tide
Once molded by the artist’s hand all things again return to sand
The wind and sand and sea and spray give and then they take away
We are not prisoners of time, we are sailors on her tide
From where we were to where we sail away
And like the Arches, we are swept away
My life is shaped by wind and sea, as it was so this shall be
One day I’ll leave behind my friends to sail and not be seen again
Th Arches are in this world stone but in the next shall be as gold
And what I am in that sweet place will behold them face to face
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13. |
You Say I Say I Love You
02:24
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YOU SAY I SAY I LOVE YOU
(c) Chuck Hall
She said I said I love you so much I must not mean it
Those words cut my heart in two - I wish she could have seen it
My love was doomed right from the start, too passionate and strong
Too young in matters of the heart to prove that she was wrong
So I kept saying I love you until she said "So long."
Now you say I say I love you, but only in reply
I will not deny that's mostly true, now you know the reason why
I learned that lesson long ago, but you remind me every day
The truest words I've come to know are the hardest ones to say
So I keep saying I love you in my own peculiar way
I'll keep saying I love you 'til the gold in our rings wears away
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14. |
My Blue Umbrella
02:56
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MY BLUE UMBRELLA
(Chuck Hall)
Oh when it rains I'm a lucky fella
I walk the streets beneath my blue umbrella
Now it may pour and flood the cella
But I' ll be dry inside my blue umbrella
Gonna find my sweetheart, I 'm gonna tella
Come walk with me beneath my blue umbrella
I'll play King Ferdinand to her Isabella
We'll explore the world beneath my blue umbrella
When the rain comes I don't worry
Or rush around and hurry
I just take in the view where the sky is always blue
I dance down main street - a tarentella
And whistle a tune beneath my blue umbrella
Oh when the rain comes I start dancing
Like Gene Kelley romancing
To a stranger I might say, "Im just singin' in the rain!"
Oh the weatherman is a fortune tella
When he says its going to rain
Upon my windowpane
It's so hard to explain
But there's a joy I can't contain
I go reaching in the closet
Where I made my last deposit
In the fund that I have saved
Just for a rainy day
And I smile when I find
My blue umbrella
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15. |
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THE NIGHT THAT ELVIS SANG AT THE OPEN MIKE
(Chuck Hall)
St. George Street was alive with tourist traffic
Why, it was a scene right out of the National Geographic
The snowbirds had arrived in St. Augustine for their annual school vacation scene
And the Milltop Tavern had a special night, it was their once a year local talent open mike
And this guy no one knew but everybody recognized
Walk out of the shadows and into their lives
His hair was a frozen icy blue, His leather jacket was a darker hue
And everybody told Him, “You got the look right!”
The night that Elvis sang at the open mike
Now the slot he drew was number eight, right after the feature performer played
So the place was not half full the moment the King took to the stage and began to sing
And you know, for an old guy, he did pretty well
He did this audacious cover of “Heartbreak Hotel”
His eyes were tight closed, His top lip quivered
The King did not fail to deliver
His sideburns were straight-razors underneath the ear
Pointing directly at that familiar sneer
That semi-smile they all recognized
The night that Elvis sang at the open mike
He was a little bit rusty, he was a bit overweight
He had to borrow a pick and His set ran late
Some folks laughed, and some cat-called
And some didn’t think it was Elvis at all
He was about to break into “Suspicious Minds”
When the MC said, “Sorry, King, but you’re out of time.”
And everybody there screamed and hollered and such
And when the King left the stage he said, “Thank-a very much…”
The Elvis comeback didn’t get very far
He went down the street to this Karaoke bar
Where he sang “Love Me Tender” from behind His aviators
But he lost the big money first prize pot that night to a Neil Diamond imitator
St. George St. finally turned out the lights
And all the good people went home for the night
They were a tough crowd - hard to convince
So he walked back into the shadows and has not been seen since
If you’re skeptical I know exactly what you mean
This kind of thing has to be believed to be seen
But me and Charlie Robertson was there the night
That Elvis sang at the open mike.
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