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1. |
A9
02:33
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A9
A9, A9, driving down the A9
A9, A9, driving down the A9
Sixty seven, in a Ford Cortina
Keep her straight on the centre line
Just eighteen and the blood is wild
Driving down the A9
A9, A9, driving down the A9
A9, A9, driving down the A9
The night is free and my girl beside me
Long dark hair, and she looks so fine
Singing songs, the strings are humming
Driving down the A9
A9, A9, driving down the A9
A9, A9, driving down the A9
Head for home, the night is weary
Heart is heavy, left her crying
Push your chances every corner
Driving home the A9
A9, A9, driving down the A9
A9, A9, driving down the A9
Every bend don’t know what’s waiting
Fear sends shivers down my spine
I don’t know it’s hell or heaven
Driving home the A9
A9, A9, driving down the A9
A9, A9, driving down the A9
But then I took a road less travelled
At the crossroads saw the sign
Gave the wheel to a different driver
Driving home the A9
A9, A9, driving down the A9
A9, A9, driving down the A9
Now I drive across the country
Different drum, and a new design
Looking for lost sheep and shepherds
Driving down the A9
A9, A9, driving down the A9
A9, A9, driving down the A9
Many years now lie between us
Many memories round us twine
But I’m heading home forever
Driving home the A9
A9, A9, driving down the A9
A9, A9, driving down the A9
(c) Alex J MacDonald
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2. |
The angel of the north
04:26
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ANGEL OF THE NORTH
You were lonely from the time when first I saw your face
You’d lost the one you loved, you were holding out for grace
To protect you and defend you I’d have laid my body down
If I could wield the sword, then you would wear the crown
You’re the angel of the North, you’re the lily of the West
I love the way your hair falls across your breast
You’re the angel of the North, you’re the lily of the West
To know you is to love you and loving you I’m blessed
I was wandering the streets as I looked for someone lost
When I saw you with your friends and I wished I could have crossed
You were dressed up real fine for a party or a dance
But my heart went out to you and I stood there in a trance
You’re the angel of the North, you’re the lily of the West
I love the way you talk and I love the way you’re dressed
You’re the angel of the North, you’re the lily of the West
I want everyone to know you’re the one I love the best
You were lying very still and your face was deathly white
You were in another place and my world was black as night
When you opened up your eyes and you looked at me and smiled
Could have thrown my arms around you and held you like a child
You’re the angel of the North, you’re the lily of the West
When you’re standing near, I’m like a man possessed
You’re the angel of the North, you’re the lily of the West
But to think that I could love you, you never would have guessed
You’re the angel of the North, you’re the lily of the West
I love the way your hair falls across your breast
You’re the angel of the North, you’re the lily of the West
To know you is to love you and loving you I’m blessed
You’re the angel of the North, you’re the lily of the West
I love the way you talk and I love the way you’re dressed
You’re the angel of the North, you’re the lily of the West
I want everyone to know you’re the one I love the best
You’re the angel of the North, you’re the lily of the West
When you’re standing near, I’m like a man possessed
You’re the angel of the North, you’re the lily of the West
But to think that I could love you, you never would have guessed
(C) Alex J MacDonald
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3. |
Where are you tonight?
04:37
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Where are you tonight?
O where are you tonight, my love? / O where are you tonight?
O where are you tonight, my love? / O where are you tonight?
O where are you tonight, my love / this dark and dreary night?
O where are you tonight, my love / in the dark or in the light?
O do you lie in fields of green / where the quiet waters flow?
Or do you lie in a field of blood / where I can never go?
And do you think of me at all / and the stories that we read?
O do you think of me at all / and the things we left unsaid?
I pray that it’s in peace tonight / you lay your lovely head
And nothing will disturb your dreams / as you lie down in your bed
O where are you tonight, my love? / O where are you tonight?
O where are you tonight, my love? / O where are you tonight?
(c) Alex J MacDonald
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4. |
Love Is
02:43
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LOVE IS
Love is a young girl on the threshold of life
Giving up her future when it hurts like a knife
Turning from the prizes, the promises and the race
Losing her mother and trying to take her place
Love is
Love is a father who will not give up hope
When his daughter disappears and his world goes up in smoke
He climbs every mountain and crosses every river
Halfway across the world 'cause he knows she'll be delivered
Love is
Love is a mother when her car's engulfed in fire
Her children in the back seat as the flames rise higher
To pull them from that furnace her life is dearly sold
And those hands that saved her babies now lie stiff and cold
Love is
Love is the God who stands in our shoes
Glory, peace and heaven he stands to lose
Shame, wrath and hell is the price we should pay
But he takes it all and he opens up the way
Love is
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5. |
Before we could say more
03:47
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Before we could say more
When I got your letter I came right away
'Cause I could never stand your pain
As I drove down the valley through the setting sun
Your eyes were begging me to come
When I got to your village I met you on the street
And we drove down the road to the sea
We talked for hours as we walked on the sand
And I thought that you could understand
But our bodies came between us like so many times before
And the darkness gathered round us before we could say more
As we sat side by side in the warmth of your room
Your laughter made me think again
Of the pride that I had when I sang about our love
And all our friends were there
But I could not forget all the pain that we knew
And the silence that drove us apart
And I could not forget all the days I walked alone
And all the nights you cried
When our bodies came between us like so many times before
And the darkness gathered round us before we could say more
And we knew it was madness and we knew it wouldn't work
But we pretended not to care
And my heart filled with sadness and your eyes filled with tears
As I walked from your door to the car
And I could not forget that you were once mine
As the road and the night slipped away
And I could see your face through the pouring rain
Begging me to stay
But our bodies came between us like so many times before
And the darkness gathered round us before we could say more
(c) Alex J MacDonald
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6. |
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TURN AWAY FROM YOUR MEMORIES
I met her in the springtime in that old hotel hall
She was laughing, eyes smiling, and so were we all
It was the end of September till I saw her again
And we kept time waiting as we walked on the hill
Turn away from your memories
Close your eyes and breathe deep
Maybe daytime will come
Before too long
For three days joy lasted, then it faded away
In its place there was sadness, loneliness and dismay
Saw her house on the hillside as the ship sailed away
And the wind was so cold on me that my eyes filled with tears
Turn away from your memories
Close your eyes and breathe deep
Maybe daytime will come
Before too long
Could have gone back to take her, but the wind didn't blow
Stood against the temptation, still I'd too far to go
But the pain of restraining brought her back to my door
And I could only turn away, couldn't say yes or no
Turn away from your memories
Close your eyes and breathe deep
Maybe daytime will come
Before too long
It's a long lonely journey, but it's going too slow
What's round the next corner, tomorrow I'll know
And the old gas fire's burning and her heart's burning too
Hopings too strong to die, yes and sorrows were still
Turn away from your memories
Close your eyes and breathe deep
Maybe daytime will come
Before too long
(c) Donald Smith
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7. |
Changes
04:18
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Changes
I remember the first time that ever I saw your face
That night in October Sixty-nine
I remember your shyness as you walked across the room
Your smile made your eyes shine
Then you stood in white, made everything right
Seems just a moment away
But how this world has changed, it sometimes seems so strange
But there's still one thing that I can say
We've been through changes down through the years
We've been through the laughter and the pain
But O, when you smile, you light up my world
You light it up again and again
We learned how to change the things that we could change
To accept the things we couldn't change
And we asked for the wisdom to help us from on high
To know what could change and couldn't change
I've been through the fire and I've been through the rain
Through dark days I thought would never end
But I wasn't overwhelmed and I wasn't burned out
Cause I've got a lover and a friend
We've been through changes down through the years
We've been through the laughter and the pain
But O, when you smile, you light up my world
You light it up again and again
I can't change the world for everyone there is
But I'd like to change the world just for you
I can't please everybody all of the time
But all I want to do is for you
Bone of my bone, flesh of my flesh
The two will always be one
To love and to cherish for better or for worse
Until this old world has gone
We've been through changes down through the years
We've been through the laughter and the pain
But O, when you smile, you light up my world
You light it up again and again
(c) Alex J MacDonald
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8. |
Ring of the rainbow
02:22
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RING OF THE RAINBOW
Following the sun on the wing of a storm
Flying into darkness fragile in form
They want to hurt me, they want to drag me down
They'd like to see me fall they'd like to see me drown
But I'm in the ring of the rainbow, the shadow of the cloud
I'm in the ring of the rainbow, the shadow of the cloud
Standing on the rocks where the ocean crashes down
Rolling like thunder when the lightning flashes round
They destroy my reputation, vilify my name
They'd turn everyone against me, say that I'm to blame
But I'm in the ring of the rainbow, the shadow of the cloud
I'm in the ring of the rainbow, the shadow of the cloud
At the end of the sea, islands standing clear
The burning setting sun draws away my fear
Cause they're closing in around me, trying to hold me back
They'd like to see me bend, they'd like to see me crack
But I'm in the ring of the rainbow, the shadow of the cloud
I'm in the ring of the rainbow, the shadow of the cloud
In a valley by the sea I saw the plague of death
Swollen blinded eyes, choking every breath
It came across the water, no island keeps it out
Decay and desolation, bringing fear and doubt
But I'm in the ring of the rainbow, the shadow of the cloud
I'm in the ring of the rainbow, the shadow of the cloud
(c) Alex J MacDonald
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9. |
Stand your ground
04:16
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STAND YOUR GROUND
When the night is long and the day is bleak
And you just can’t find the right words to speak
When those you love are far away
And the distance grows no matter what you say
Oh stand, stand your ground
When your heart is broken and it hurts like hell
And with every wound you retreat into your shell
When your head is on fire and your heart is numb
And your ears are burning and your mouth is dumb
Oh stand, stand your ground
When you’re under the cosh and you’re under attack
And your body’s pierced by the devil’s flak
When you’re hurt in the places where no one sees
And you’re down in the dust and on your knees
Oh stand, stand your ground
When the water’s rising and it chills your blood
And you think you’ll soon be drowned in the flood
When you’re lost in the dark like a little child
And the clouds are torn and the night is wild
Oh stand, stand your ground
When the voices whisper that you’ve reached the end
And you can’t tell the difference between enemy or friend
When everything you try is bound to fail
And into your coffin goes another nail
Oh stand, stand your ground
When you feel that there’s no one who wants to care
And you begin to doubt if God himself is there
Remember the weapons he gave to you
With a sword in your hand take a different view
And stand, stand your ground
(c) Alex J MacDonald
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10. |
Restless men
04:20
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RESTLESS MEN
Soft green waves touched by the setting sun
Turn the sea to blood and the world to darkness
Restless water driven by the restless wind
The men have gone across the restless water
Restless men into the setting sun
They left behind their aching memories
They sailed away, sailed away, and have not yet returned
And often I looked as the waves unfolded
Bursting white foam on the old brown stones
And my heart is gone with the brown-skinned sailors
To find a home beyond that far horizon
They will sail forever on an endless ocean
Looking for a country that has no shore
They will never return to our tired green hillside
Now the deer can run free, run free, and the grass grow long
But the rolling water brings its peace upon me
The salt taste on my lips I will not soon forget
I will go once more to look down on the water
But the sharp grey hills will welcome me back
The men have gone on the restless water
Restless men into the setting sun
They will never return to our tired green hillside
Now the deer can run free, run free, and the grass grow long
(c) Donald Smith
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11. |
Dream of Kintail
05:06
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A Dream of Kintail
1. I’m alone on the frozen prairie, I’m alone on the dazzling snow,
Around the wide horizon where no others come or go,
After a hard day’s marching my weary steps I stay
For I’ve tasted the joys of camping this night by Hudson Bay.
2. As I sit by the blazing log-fire watching the embers fade
I see a map of Scotland ’mid the snow-lit hill and shade;
I sing a song of Scotland alone in the fading light -
A song of the dear old country, how it cheers my heart tonight!
3. I sing a song of Scotland as I lay me down to rest,
And my yearning heart goes out o’er that wild ocean of the west,
To a land of heath-clad mountain - the land that gave me birth,
And I think that with all her failings she’s the fairest land on earth!
4. I dream a dream of Scotland, oh could it last `til morn!
I see the little sheiling by the burn where I was born,
Where I wandered coming home at e’en to gather brambles wild,
And I fancy in my vision that I’m once more a child.
5. Oh! listen to the music of the mountain and the crag,
To the treble of the curlew and the deep bass of the stag,
To the croaking of the raven and the moaning of the gale,
And in fancy I am roaming on the mountains of Kintail!
6. I see the little schoolhouse in the clachan by the burn;
I feel the touch of vanished hand that I can feel no more.
Beneath the shade of Morvern hills I dream of songs I’ve sung,
Of love songs sweet and tender when love and I were young!
7. I still dream on of Scotland and my own beloved Kintail,
As I wander by the river, thro’ the beallach and the hill;
Ben Attow’s highest summit where the eagles used to soar,
And upwards still and higher as I did in days of yore.
8. Deeper still and deeper does my slumber o’er me steal
’til I seem to be dissolvéd ’mid the raptures of my dream;
Then all those misty visions fade wholly from my sight,
And I heave a sigh for Scotland: “My native Land, goodnight!”
Traditional/Curliana Dingwall
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12. |
The thin red line
05:36
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THE THIN RED LINE
In Strathnaver by the river
Stands a lonely stone-built cairn
In 1800 there they gathered
Whisky taken, oaths fulfilled
Loyal clansmen for the Countess
The Ninety-third Highlanders
Left their crofts and all their dear ones
Sailed for Ireland, and Africa
O the thin red line,
O the thin red line,
O the thin red line,
O the thin red line
What sustained them through all their hardships
Was a thin red line of blood
From the Book it flowed out strongly
In their hearts and in their minds
None excelled them in code of conduct
In sacrifice or bravery
Songs of praise and deeds of love
Education and charity
O the thin red line,
O the thin red line,
O the thin red line,
O the thin red line
But in the year of 1814
They set sail for America
At New Orleans faced blood and slaughter
Stood unmoving like a wall
But as they gave their lives for Empire
In Strathnaver their homes were burned
Their dear ones driven from their crofts like cattle
Oaths betrayed, the loyal spurned
O the thin red line,
O the thin red line,
O the thin red line,
O the thin red line
At Balaklava, in the Crimea
Facing odds of ten to one
Against the charging Russian cavalry
They formed a line and stood their ground
O the thin red streak and a line of steel,
No retreat from here, you’ll die where you stand
Aye, if needs be, Sir Colin, we’ll die where we stand
O the thin red streak and a line of steel
O the thin red line,
O the thin red line,
O the thin red line,
O the thin red line
(c) Alex J MacDonald
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Alex MacDonald Edinburgh, UK
Grew up in Kildonan Strath, Sutherland, where I loved the psalms and hymns and the old folk songs my father had learned from his drover grand uncle.Went on to Cash, the Clancys and Corries, Tom Paxton and Dylan. Started playing guitar and writing songs in my teens, but only started recording this century with my rock band sons! Either solo or with my band, I've played all over Scotland. ... more
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