1. |
The Bisley Boy
03:33
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Let me tell to you of a tale out in the West
How a young Bisley boy was exchanged for a princess.
Elizabeth was her name, how suddenly she died;
The little daughter of the King, the truth they had to hide
She died at Over Court this they dared not confess
So they sought a second child to wear her golden dress
With no girl the right age, and King Henry on his way,
They chose a red-haired lad, a Bisley boy saved the day
So that fateful day a cunning plan they did employ
Good Queen Bess of England could have been a Bisley Boy
He fooled the ailing King within the dim-lit hall
He learned to be a Princess, then answered England's call.
Forty years a Queen, so powerfully she reigned.
With "the heart of a King", the secret still remained.
So that fateful day a cunning plan they did employ
So Good Queen Bess of England could have been a Bisley Boy
So that fateful day a cunning plan they did employ
So Good Queen Bess of England could have been a Bisley Boy
Now you may wonder could this tale be true?
And throughout her long reign surely someone knew
But she was the Virgin Queen and Gloriana never wed
Did she take this secret with her right to her dying bed?
So that fateful day a cunning plan they did employ
So Good Queen Bess of England could have been a Bisley Boy
So that fateful day a cunning plan they did employ
So Good Queen Bess of England could have been a Bisley Boy
She decreed that no post-mortem could they hold
All through the years the truth could not be told
But at Over Court a tomb was found concealed
And a Tudor girl in a rich dress was revealed
So Good Queen Bess of England could have been a Bisley Boy.
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2. |
Break Free
03:38
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Here I am so down and so lonely now
Not a soul comes round, none at all
What I need right now is someone to reach out
Please hear my call
Everyday's so long with no way out now
When my strength has gone break my fall
When it all seems wrong, need a hand so strong
To pull me over that wall
And break free from all that's holding me down
Maybe my luck is turning around
Let me see the way life could be
Oh, please show me the way I can break free
It’s so hard I know to play this waiting game
When I get so low everyday
Ready set to go, please somebody show me
How to get away
And break free from all that's holding me down
Maybe my luck is turning around
Let me see the way life could be
Oh, please show me the way I can break free
Must find a new direction
Don’t let the chance pass me by
Looking for a connection
And a way to break out and fly
Now I have to say I know that come what may
I have to find that way I’m searching for
So now I must pray, could this be the day
To push open that door?
And break free from all that's holding me down
Maybe my luck is turning around
Let me see the way life could be
Oh, please show me the way I can still
Break free from all that's holding me down
Maybe my luck is turning around
Let me see the way life could be
Oh, please show me the way I can break free
(Please show me) the way I can break free
(Please show me) the way I can still break free
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3. |
Song Of The Severn
03:49
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Her life begins high on a wild mountain* (Plynlimon)
A tiny stream where the giant's asleep* (an old legend)
Then wanders through the Marches to England
Where this great river reaches out for the sea.
The Severn winds through the heart of our country
Throughout the years a lifeline for trade
When she's in flood there is no forgiveness
Though there's no counting all the people she's saved.
Let your soul roll with the river
Deep in her water you'll be carried along
And on to the future go with her
Roll on, roll on.
Sabrina's soul it lies deep in the river
A daughter born to a King long ago
And still she swims along with the elvers
And every day in the currents she flows
Let your soul roll with the river
Deep in her water you'll be carried along
And on to the future go with her
Roll on, roll on.
If you search through all her history
She has shaped our cities and towns
Her legend may still be a mystery
But her water keeps flowing on down
Sabrina's mood it can change without warning,
Make one false move and she'll sweep you away
But she'll be there every misty morning
And still be with you at the end of the day
Let your soul roll with the river
Deep in her water you'll be carried along
And on to the future go with her
Roll on, roll on.
Let your soul roll with the river
Deep in her water you'll be carried along
And on to the future go with her
Roll on, roll on.
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4. |
In The Heart Of The War
04:31
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When first I came to this country, under the cover of night
I hoped that fortune was with me and I could keep out of sight
In a world full of secrets, of agents, codenames and signs
Every day brings a new threat behind the enemy line
Running in and out of the shadows
Here in the heart of the war
You have to keep hiding and lay low
There could be trouble behind any door
Every day filled with danger, pray nothing gives me away
I have to trust complete strangers to help me get through each day
With the right passes and papers, I move from village to town
There's not a thing that can break us, they won't bring us down
Running in and out of the shadows
Here in the heart of the war
You have to keep hiding and lay low
There could be trouble behind any door
Let's take this chance of a lifetime, with our resistance so true
So open up the escape line and get the messages through
Oh, they said it wouldn't be easy to keep the mission on track
One day we'll be set free, 'til then keep on watching your back
Running in and out of the shadows
Here in the heart of the war
You have to keep hiding and lay low
There could be trouble behind any door
Running in and out of the shadows
Here in the heart of the war
You have to keep hiding and lay low
There could be trouble behind any door
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5. |
Let's Find A Way
03:45
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In these strange and troubled times
When all around there's fear
My mind goes back to better days
About this time of year
People on the front line they work so hard
While we're forced to keep apart
So until the time I have you near
I'll hold you in my heart
Need you in my life, need you now each day
The time it is so right, so let's find a way
Now our world may seem so small
Though it's full of strain and stress
Appreciate the simple things
And joy in making do with less;
Living alone can be so hard
Who knows when it will end?
So we're counting down the days
Until we meet again
Need you in my life, need you now each day
The time it is so right, so let's find a way
Nature seems to carry on
And gives a false sense of peace
When there's trouble in our minds
We look for some release
Being apart is hard to bear
It takes courage from the start
As we rage against the storm
Keep a rainbow in your heart
Need you in my life, need you now each day
The time it is so right, so let's find a way
Need you in my life, need you now each day
The time it is so right, so let's find a way
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6. |
Long Summer
05:30
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Gold as an infant’s humming dream,
Stamped with its timeless, tropic blush,
The steady sun stands in the air
And burns like Moses’ holy bush.
And burns while nothing it consumes;
The smoking branch but greener grows,
The crackling briar, from budded lips,
A floating stream of blossom blows.
A daze of hours, a blaze of noons,
Licks my cold shadow from the ground;
A flaming trident rears each dawn
To stir the blood of earth around.
Unsinged beneath the furnace sky
The frenzied beetle runs reborn,
The ant his antic mountain moves,
The rampant ram rewinds his horn.
I see the crazy bees drop fat
From tulips ten times gorged and dry;
I see the sated swallow plunge
To drink the dazzled waterfly.
A halo flares around my head,
A sunflower flares across the sun,
While down the summer’s seamless haze
Such feasts of milk and honey run;
That lying with my orchid love,
Whose kiss no frost of age can sever,
I cannot doubt the cold is dead,
The gold earth turned to good forever.
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7. |
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Girl with hair of flaming red, seeking perfect lover
For to lie down on her feather bed, soft secrets to uncover;
Must be gentle, must be strong with disposition sunny;
Just as faithful as the day is long and careful with his money.
And so the open letter read, the newsboy did deliver;
Three months later plans were made to wed down by the King James river.
Lo, the season may come, lo, the season may go
When love is joined together, will forever be made whole
When the master calls the roll.
Oh, my darling William Lee, take me to the altar.
I don't have strength to watch you as you leave but my love will never falter.
Oh, my darling Mary Anne the march to war is calling;
Somewhere far across these southern lands are bands of brothers falling
My tender bride, the tides demand that I leave you with your mother;
With my father's rifle in one hand, your locket in the other.
Lo, the season may come, lo, the season may go
Beware the storm clouds gather, take heed dear mortal soul
When the master calls the roll.
But can this union be preserved? The soldier boy was crying.
I will never travel back to her but not for lack of trying.
It's the love of one true hearted lass that made the boy a hero
But a rifle-ball and a cannon blast cut him down to zero
Oh, Virginia whence I came, I'll see you when I'm younger
And I'll know you by your hills again, this time from six feet under.
Lo, the season may come, lo, the season may go,
What man has torn asunder will someday be made whole,
When the master calls the roll.
Though the storm clouds gather,
Let the union be made whole
When the master calls the roll.
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8. |
The Green Isle
04:19
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There is an island, a green isle
That old sailors may sometimes see
And catch a sweet breath, a fragrance
Not the cold of the salty sea
And if you stand high upon the shoreline
If your eyes gaze a long, long while
Oh, you may see the low mist lightening
To give a sight of the green isle.
This is the lost land of summer
Where the trees are in constant flower
And where a blue sky shines cloudless
Where a year passes like an hour
And how each tree bough hangs ripe with plenty
On no man’s tongue sweeter fruits have been
Into this land of joy and sunlight
To this isle comes The Winter Queen
She is of Scotland, she is Beira
Mother goddess so tall and grey
And her one eye sees all things
Bleakest sea and the winter day.
How her shawl holds the earth’s brown silence
Until the old bitter North winds blow
‘Til it is thrown upon the mountains.
And hides the hills with her deep snow.
But when her old feet touch the green isle
At the close of the shortest day
And how one deep drink, pure water,
Turns to blue all our skies from grey.
Now like a girl in her green dress wandering,
How she will sing until the autumn rain
Until the mist shrouds all the mountains
Until our earth turns to cold again.
And are you sick, love, of darkness
Of the cold and the constant pain
Now let me take you from the short days
Out of fear and the blinding rain
And by the young and the truly kind Queen
Where our sun and our blue skies smile
Now come with me from our long winter
With summer’s song to the green isle.
Now come with me from our long winter
With summer’s song to the green isle.
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9. |
A Thousand Miles Away
03:25
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There's a lonely boy who fled this town forever
And left his family deep in disarray
Will there come a time when they'll all be back together
Might as well just be a thousand miles away
Did you know that girl who followed her conviction
Refused to please her family and obey
She turned down the chosen man now she's free from their restriction
Might as well just be a thousand miles away.
Miles away, miles away
She refused to please her family and obey
She turned down the chosen man now she's free from their restriction
Might as well just be a thousand miles away
There's a family I know who ran from their homeland
Finding more freedom with each day
What they all went through it would break down a strong man
Might as well just be a thousand miles away
Miles away, Miles away
They're finding more freedom with each day
What they all went through it would break down a strong man
Might as well just be a thousand miles away
Do you know someone who's gone, away you thought, for ever
Leaving your own heart in disarray?
Will there come a time when you'll be back together?
Might as well just be a thousand miles away
Miles away, Miles away
They leave all our hearts in disarray
There will come a time when we're all be back together
And our troubles are a thousand miles away….
Yes, there will come a time when we'll all be back together
And our troubles are a thousand miles, our troubles are a thousand miles,
Our troubles are a thousand miles away.
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10. |
The Greenway
04:19
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There is life in your feet when you walk on the greenway
You can dance up the flowers and re-grow the trees
And the pulse of the soil feels the beat of your dancing
And the flows of the earth feel the warmth of your feet.
There is life in your hands when you walk on the greenway
At your touch feel the stirring of sap in the stones
Feel the trees pulling free to peer over your shoulder
And the fields of the air spreading widening wings.
Will you walk on the greenway, walk on the greenway?
Walk on the greenway with me? Walk on the greenway with me?
There is life in your heart when you walk on the greenway
The high hopes of so many heart-ways meet here
No haven is far and no pain is unending
The shimmer of jewels inside every tear.
Will you walk on the greenway, walk on the greenway?
Walk on the greenway with me? Walk on the greenway with me?
Oh, water and the greenway are never far parted
The tumble of torrents the rustle of spray
And the voices of streamlets in bubbles and trebles
Fill the mornings with laughter all down to the sea.
Will you walk on the greenway, walk on the greenway?
Walk on the greenway with me? Walk on the greenway with me?
For someone is emerging when you walk on the greenway
A widening smile ripples into the air
Feel the tingle of shoots reaching out from your fingers
Unfurling of delicate leaves in your hair
For the changes begin when you walk on the greenway
The roots reconnect with the sky and stars
And your heart is the ear that is tuned to the earth's way
And you are the song she is listening for..........
Will you walk on the greenway, walk on the greenway?
Walk on the greenway with me?
Will you walk on the greenway, walk on the greenway?
Walk on the greenway with me?
Will you walk on the greenway, walk on the greenway?
Walk on the greenway with me?
Walk on the greenway with me?
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11. |
First Light
04:13
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I long to see you in the morning light
Hoping everything will turn out right
I've been here holding on all night for you
Oh, I can't wait till the light comes shining through
There is such wonder when the day begins
A need to run from the dark within
I know I must wash away all my sins for you.
Oh, I can't wait till the light comes shining through
Lead on to the first light
Dream on, don't delay
Lead on through the lonely night
Please show me the way
Deep in the night it's hard to find a way
To keep the demons and all fears at bay
You must know I want to start the day with you
Oh, I can't wait till the light comes shining through
Lead on to the first light
Dream on, don't delay
Lead on through the lonely night
Please show me the way
I never knew it meant so much to me
The call for someone to set me free
At break of day I really need to be with you
Oh, I can't wait till the light comes shining through
Lead on to the first light
Dream on, don't delay
Lead on through the lonely night
Please show me the way
Oh, I can't wait till the light comes
Holding on all night for the right one
Oh, I can't wait till the light comes shining through
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12. |
Dreams
04:26
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Where did the dream go, that we once made
We let it go love, lost it on our way
Where do the dreams go, out in the light of day
Oh, don’t let our dreams all fade away
Where did our chances go, who can say
Now we will never know what we threw away
Where do the dreams go, out in the light of day
Oh, don’t let our dreams all fade away
Take me down
Along that endless road
I've been here looking for the life we planned
Searching everywhere I know
Where did the love go, that we once shared
To be without you now is more than I can bear
Where do the dreams go, out in the light of day
Oh, don’t let our dreams all fade away
Take me away
Far beyond the rain
Oh, to be among the stars tonight
And be there in that dream again
If you were with me now then I would say
Forget the lonely nights, dreams are here to stay
Where do the dreams go, out in the light of day
Oh, don’t let our dreams all fade away
Oh, don’t let our dreaming fade
Don't let them take it away
Don’t let our dreams all fade away
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Johnny Coppin Stroud, UK
"The quality of his singing and outstanding songwriting surely merit even greater recognition" - RnR
magazine
“Unquestionably at the top of his game” - Acoustic magazine
A singer/songwriter and co-founder of the folk band Decameron, Johnny has gone on to record over twelve albums including The Winding Stair, and Borderland. Playing guitar and piano, his music is always melodic and evocative.
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Darling Charms - Would've thought NK would have learned her lesson after the Port 'n' Brandy 😘 xx This whole EP is bangin' btw. Beautiful work xx
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Because I couldn't decide what my favourite track was. It's a beautiful album and every track could be my favourite. However, I am a soppy git so I chose stowaway. Thank you Jon and keep up the good work.
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