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Big man big heart

from Like the river by Alex MacDonald

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about

Douglas MacMillan died on the 3rd of August 1991. Evelyn and I had been with him and Mary at a wedding the day before. The news came as a big shock. Douglas had been a spiritual inspiration to many of us. He was one of my heroes. All was well if Douglas was there. And now he wasn’t there – or to be more precise, he wasn’t here. As it turned out I wasn’t able to get to the Memorial Service in Edinburgh or the funeral in Ardnamurchan. A few weeks later I was ill, and this song came to me in one go. Big man, big heart.

lyrics

BIG MAN BIG HEART

On the last of the land a young man stands
Where the sun sinks low
Between darkness and light, the daylight and the night
Torn in his soul
Shepherd by day, the night-time for play
In the summer or winter frost
Music in his hands, dancing to the bands
This is the shepherd that was lost

He drives home late, comes in through the gate
And he stands with his hand on the door
His dying mother's song proves that he was wrong
He turns to the hills, his heart is sore
As he stands by her grave he tries to look brave
But her words shake him to the core
“Will you meet me there?” was her question and her prayer
But he turns away once more

He can wrestle and fight and drink through the night
He can make the hammer fly from his hands
But one night at a dance a girl asks him by chance
If he's heard the preacher who understands
Curious to know, he decides to go
And settle this thing in his mind
But much to his surprise, the preacher sees through his disguise
He's empty, he's aching and he's blind

As he drives by the shore, he meets him once more
And confesses he wants to be changed
And down on his knees he feels the coldness unfreeze
His priorities all rearranged
The darkness of night is dispelled by the light
Of the shepherd who's given his life
He sees him stand in the preacher's hand
The one whose love cuts like a knife

He sets out on that road where he'll bear a heavy load
Of caring for everyone that's lost
His voice reaches out, he'll whisper and he'll shout
This love doesn't care about cost
To seek and to save before he reaches the grave
His ambition right from the start
Through laughter or tear he will draw you near
This preacher with the shepherd's heart

He will not spare himself nor dare
To turn away until we all know
That the love that changed him doesn't come from within
It comes from the high to the low
But as the years roll this work takes its toll
On a heart that wanted to win
The great voice is stilled but the place now is filled
Prepared by the shepherd for him

Chorus
Big man with a big heart
He was a heavy with the light touch
He was a shepherd who knew his sheep
Big man with a big heart
He was a heavy with the light touch
He was a shepherd who knew his sheep

(c) Alex J MacDonald

credits

from Like the river, released October 4, 2008
Alex MacDonald: vocals, guitar, and harmonica
Doug MacDonald: bandurria and percussion
Ismael Florit: bass and organ
Donald Forsyth: guitar

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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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