<(Listen for)The Rag and Bone Man>

Domed

In another land
I tried to find somebody
To tell me what I had to do
Some way to hide away from you
Some peace of mind of any kind
In another land.

In another land
On a strange and bloodied sand
Beneath the domed and lonely sky
Where nothing but your mind and angels fly
In another land.

In another land
The boulders move with wolves like men
Their haunted laughter reaching out
Under the moon I hear them shout
"Come follow me" they say
"Come walk with me - come anyway"
And now I turn in search of them.

In another land
I tried to find somebody.


The Beautiful Silence

I came upon a house
In a place I'd never been before
All painted white and open doors
With the sunlight dancing on the floor
I saw the wind in the spring trees
Smelt the poplar and the sun's heat
And the meadows lie sleeping.

I found myself in a pale room
With a bolted door
And a beautiful silence
I saw a woman lying there
With the sunlight entwined in her auburn hair
And through the window floated many things
Photographs and letters and her wedding ring
And a child voice speaking.

I came upon a house
Somewhere I'd never been before
And in this lace of light and dark
I feel my heart sing joyously inside me.


Rive Droite


I felt her hand open in mine
It made me think of another time.

Sunday bells float through my house
On the steady wind that's blowing to the south
Trails of smoke rise in the air
From the bonfires in the orchards
I see you standing on the stairs
And the house it roars like a shell.

And one thing that's strange to me it seems
Is though you're by the window
When the gate it Swings I feel your hand in mine.

Walk through the door my love to me
Where the dry roots reach for the shallow stream
And on the hill the chapel lies
The bones of our families side by side
In crooked lines.

Down there beneath my house
In the vale there's a man who's wading
The water's up around his waist
I see his face but I don't hear what he's saying
And now night falling down
Heavy as a cloth around your shoulders
I see you smile in faded light
So come to me
Come to me.


Mary of the Woods
When I woke I thought of you
Looked out of the window at this familiar view
I watched the kites fly high above the steeples
And the washing lines that float
With sailor's clothes
When I woke I thought of you.

In the vale there's a meadow
Where a rare flower grows
Oh Mary won't you be my girl.

When the land falls away
And the sea there lies rolling
Oh Mary it's a simple world.

When your headscarf falls like this
And the sunlight's on your lips
Oh Mary won't you be my girl.

I took a walk down to the parson's house
Met the cooper and the priest on the way there
They pointed up to the woods for you
Oh Mary I'll find you somewhere.


The Way The Land Lies


The old man's come to see
The way the land lies over
Come to see the way the clouds roll.
He wants to know if cowslips still grow
On the hill where he kissed his girl
And if the sky turns just the same
When the wind blows from the west
Above the old town in the distance
And the village in the field.

He wants to see the graveyard by the church
And watch the clock and see the boys
Throwing stones at the skylarks
Just the way they were.

The old man's come to see
The way the trees fall on the land with the sunset
And smell the grass as it blows through the fields.

The old man's come to see
The way the land lies beneath the sky.

He wants to know if the rain that falls is just the same
And the way the clouds stretch open
And hang there like a veil.

And the ocean to the north
It sings the same song and turns
From blue-grey into green.

The old man's come to see
The way the land lies beneath the sky
To watch the shadows of the clouds racing by.


The Legend of Mucklow

Waist high in the wild oats
Goose-grass burrs on his old coat
A knife tears through his throat.

Sunlight sparkles in the old stones by the wall
Surprise in his eyes as he begins to fall
Across his hand an ant crawls
It's been a long time coming.

Himmancame
Himmancame
Bringemin now bringemin
Himmancame
throughthewheat himmancame

Seems a long time
That the dawn's been coming
Spreading down through the sky
Reflected in his eyes
And could it be
That I can smell the blood on this breeze
It's been a long time coming.

Himmancame
Himmancame
Bringemin now bringemin
Himmancame
throughthewheat now
cutyou

It's been a long time coming.


Candace

I was watching my sister
Tying back her hair
She kicked off her shoes and left them there
Beneath the slender trees
In the dry heart-shaped yellow leaves

And Caddy says -
Don't touch me don't touch me.

But not to me as she's lying
With her head on my knees
The sound of the roof then suddenly she's
Not with me anymore
And the shapes slide brighter than before

And Caddy says
Don't touch me don't touch me.

As she stands with her back
Pressed up to the wall
She pushes him away and the honeysuckle falls
And rises over him
In the grey light movement of her skin

And Caddy says
Goddamn you Goddamn you.

I was watching my sister
Closing her eyes
As the firelight turns and the firelight dies
But Caddy smells of trees
As she lies sleeping next to me.

And Caddy says


Stay Away From The Accordion Girl
Stay Away From The Accordion Girl
If you see the accordion girl Better

walk the other way Underneath the viaduct
Might be where you'll hear her play
If you see the accordion girl I'll give you some advice Avoid her
eyes and walk away

And I lie in the night and I listen
And I want to hear her play.

If you see the accordion girl Walking by the perfumed river
Tell me is she on her own
Tell me is there someone with her
Where the grapes hang thick on the vine
And far behind the faint stars shine
And fall like pearls of alien corn
That break in waves against my door

If you see the accordion girl...


The Saracen's Head

But where are you going my little girl
Without a candle in this twilight world

Don't bother me now
Don't hold my elbow
Or shake my wrist
I walk to The Saracen's head
Past The Bear,
The Queen's arms
And The Cross Keys

Nice the way the lights glow
On the rainy streets

Where do you take me my little girl
Don't need a light in this midnight world.


A Man With A Drum
There's a man who plays a drum
Standing on the corner
Maybe he's a clown
All the children gather round
To watch the man play his drum.

He looks so serious
But you'd guess he's having fun...
Bang the drum, bang the drum bang the drum.

Wind blows down the alleyway
Creeps up behind him and it says
"But what are you doing here son?
Don't tell me you're just here to beat that drum."

"I'll take some fried fish and beer
Then probably I'll disappear
But think about me when I'm gone
And tell me why it is you beat that drum."

And when the moon lifted its head
It moved up close to him and said
"Oh by the way my boy - by the way
I think I'm going to believe you
No matter what you say."



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