1. |
White Stag in Bootle
02:20
|
|||
|
(no lyrics)
|
||||
2. |
Hawk and Salmon
08:34
|
|||
|
Were Hawk and Salmon by the river,
Was Bear out roaming wild.
Did deer patrol the woodland border, as Hawk and Salmon smiled.
And did Salmon say it was a shame to see a creature tied - that Stag should know those sunlit edges and choose to stay inside.
“For you have seen this land of England, and further fields beside, and I have swum beneath the breakers of all the ocean wide.”
So Hawk and Salmon trading secrets did spend the day entwined,
And Salmon called in right and good that the two were so refined.
“And I will marry your sister as you must marry mine,
And we will wed them on the solstice, and dance along the line.”
“No, I wouldn’t marry your sister, though you may marry mine -
No not for all the air in England, or all the tea in Chine.”
So Salmon, stung, did set to swimming all for a million mile,
As Hawk there waited by the water, and wore a crooked smile -
For the Hawk he is a handsome fellow, with diamond in his eye,
And Salmon’s sister in the shallows enchanted him to try.
Well, the Hawk he is a handsome fellow, with diamond in his eye,
And he carried off the Salmon’s sister, stringing pearls across the sky.
Now, when at last he stopped his searching all for a million mile,
Old Salmon swam back up his river to stay and rest a while.
But finding all his river emptied, he knew his kin had died,
So he threw himself against the boulders, and to the pebbles cried:
“Oh, who has killed this line of Salmon; my family defiled?”
And Hawk stood by all preening feathers with countenance so mild.
“Oh, who has killed this line of Salmon”, as Hawk was standing by,
But Salmon choked upon the question, so wary of the lie.
For he saw the Hawk had bloody talons, and beak a cleaving knife,
And feathers wet with river water, and eyes alight with life.
That Salmon soon he schemed an answer, for he was awful wise,
And lay so still when Hawk came by there, maintaining his disguise.
Then he called next day to Bear a-roaming, and sang to Stag at night,
To tell them Hawk required a schooling to set the balance right.
Yes, he called all day to Bear a-roaming, and sang to Stag at night,
And when the Hawk arose next morning all three he quickly spied.
When he asked the Stag, “what caught your interest, that you should wander nigh?”
The Stag bade him a calm “good morning”, and coolly sauntered by.
But the Bear he is both brave and bold, and never once has lied,
So Hawk there learned the secret freely that Salmon had denied.
Thus Salmon woke alone next morning; pale cloud delayed the light;
His friend the Hawk came down a-calling, and gave him half a fright.
He said, “we must discuss your sister, who latterly did die -
I would not see you served in ribbons, my sister for to dine.”
He said, “we must discuss your sister, if you’re to marry mine -
I would not see you served in ribbons, my sister for to dine.”
Proud Salmon said, “your care is charming, when you have killed my kind,”
And smiled to think he knew a secret his friend would never find -
‘Til Hawk said “you think you have mastered our friends with me to fight,
But how could you do wrong in vengeance to keep the balance right?
I’ve heard you claim a truth untarnished in following your line,
So how do you now call me scoundrel for holding mine?”
I am no Salmon; I am no Hawk, no Bear, no Stag.
I bare my talons;
My hands so sadden;
Light lamp, glow blacken;
Fly fast, slow answers;
High land, low bracken;
Ride past Rhiannon;
My path Niwalen’s?
I am no Hawk, no Bear, no Stag.
I can, though, walk, and bear my pack.
My hands cut short? So grow them back.
I’ve heard you claim a truth untarnished, in following your line,
So how do you now call me scoundrel, for holding true to mine?
|
||||
3. |
Bear's Steps
09:27
|
|||
|
Hawk saw Bear, great and brown,
Swim seven seas; did not drown.
Found six fish; ‘et them all;
Tracked white Stag to a golden hall.
Shook wet fur; strode inside;
Doors slammed shut; storm sound died.
Five men here; four more there;
Pale eyed king, upon his chair
Whispered “welcome, hungry Bear -
Sit at our table and share.”
All soon fled, except a few;
Three barren benches; Bear stood too.
Ruler frail, with raised right hand
Said “here’s a thing you would not understand”.
Bear stood tall; twice my height.
Deep black eyes, dark as night.
“I smell one thing, none need say:
Something wild comes this way.”
King’s reply cut the air:
“Open the door if you dare”.
How that storm shook the hall
As the wild one came to the wall.
Loathsome beast laughed at Bear;
Asked “what are you doing inside there?”
King stood quiet; Bear still bold;
Foe so strong, strange and old.
These bravest three fought and bled,
‘Til the frailest fell, and the wildest fled,
And the wounded king chose his heir,
Said “come take my crown if you care -
Come take the crown if you dare.
The crown will take you, as is fair…”
And Bear took the crown.
Five years claws held that crown.
Six tall trees trapped that town.
Doors stood wide while we slept,
And round us the oldest of stories crept.
Timber split, burnt by frost;
Land alive, leader lost.
And when we woke, were all aware
That Bear’d lain long outside its lair,
And seven green guards on grey-white mares
Reclaimed the corpse of the Bear.
Worms ate well; soil stained red;
Trees towered tall; Bear was…
Bear was.
|
||||
4. |
(Mere)
01:43
|
|||
|
Wrapped up in dark, the rain drums;
The mist hides the house,
And I try to be honest.
What does my song look like
Stripped of its cleverness
And voiced lonely?
What is my son or my daughter
Squirming in my arm
As I fight sleep?
Simple things are hard, and the simplest
Things are the hardest -
The sky is hidden.
Let’s both strengthen ourselves
To step away now
From our map of the river
And towards the water.
|
||||
5. |
The Witch Who Was Hurt
06:49
|
|||
|
Clever hare in the field, run all night.
Silver snare at the gate; bloody hind.
Cannot share how it feels in the mist;
Strange inside, stranger still out of it.
Pretty doe, wounded witch? Cold water cares not.
In the hedge, in the house? The gloaming knows not.
Land alive, living rock, silent moon.
Quiet night; creaking clock; hollow noon.
Little bird on the branch, slow and strange.
Sad and soft, standing off mountain range.
Swimming down, swimming up - the river looks not.
Heavy rain, hollow sun, both fall on bare rock.
Broken branch, happy hawk, fall into your thoughts,
But you are not in theirs.
|
||||
6. |
Ursa Major
08:13
|
|||
|
How does the Hart in the wood measure out his worth?
Gold of seasons past, buried under good earth.
In the fullness of time, any man’s life is the blink of an eye.
Why does he dwell on the length of that life, or the day that he must die?
High in the canopy of night, silver threads still shine,
Draped in strange shapes - try to read them for signs.
The sky in the darkness; its work is effortless. I see the light it sends.
My life and the night, there is no difference: it cycles and it ends.
Now my concern is to be what I should
While we work constellations of mud.
The hands beat the soil, the heart shifts blood.
The circle is endless; we are a part of it; we don’t know what it is.
And generation on generation have overlooked their duty.
Generation on generation on generation…
So write out your sorry list of all the things you tried,
But when you’re already caught in the jaw, or the belly of the beast,
How are you going to kill it from inside?
And sing your silly song about the tribute you bring,
But when you’re already cut into four, for worm and wolf to feast,
There’s no use in now saying sorry to the king.
The hands beat the soil, the heart shifts blood.
The grief will be dancing with the love.
|
||||
7. |
Ursa Minor / Finale
06:02
|
|||
|
There is something holy living in these lands,
So I do what my heart commands.
I know the land I stand on is alive,
And to assault it is a crime.
Your story is a crease upon your hand;
You must plough where you chose to stand,
And from your heart strong roots may one day dive.
You will take your place in time.
|
||||
The Bear and the River England, UK
For you have seen this land of England, and further fields beside - and I have swum beneath the waters of all the ocean wide.
If you like The Bear and the River, you may also like:
This quartet layer hypnotic, baroque strings that ebb, flow, & crisply play out 18th-century British folk songs.
go to album
featured on Bandcamp Radio Apr 30, 2024
go to album
The Toronto-based sextet make moody, cinematic sounding music that blends psych-folk and post-rock.
go to album
Mind, Man, Medicine
by The Secret Sisters
The Alabama duo's fifth album exults in dusty Americana, showcasing rich vocal harmonies alongside blissful folk instrumentation.
go to album
More contemplative folk from the Minnesota singer-songwriter, sustained by raw full-band arrangements and philosophical lyrics.
go to album
Irish singer-songwriter Oisin Leech's acoustic folk music is characterized by its muted beauty and intimate, solitary quality.
go to album
Various Artists - Gaza Calling
by Nuovo Canzoniere Partigiano
featured on Bandcamp Radio Mar 15, 2024
go to album
