Loreena McKennitt Album

Music and Lyrics by Loreena McKennitt

When the moon on a cloud cast night
Shone above the tree tops' height
You sang me of some distant past
That made my heart beat strong and fast
Now I know I'm home at last

You offered me an eagle's wing
That to the sun, I might soar and sing
And if I heard the owl's cry
Into the forest I would fly
And in its darkness find you by

So our love's not a simple thing
Nor our truths unwavering
Like the moon's pull on the tide
Our fingers touch, our hearts collide
I'll be a moonsbreath from your side
I'll be a moonsbreath from your side
I'll be a moonsbreath from your side

Music by Loreena McKennitt
Lyrics by Padraic Colum, arr. by Loreena McKennitt

When the moon-cradle's rocking and rocking
Where a cloud and a cloud go by
Silently rocking and rocking
The moon-cradle's out in the sky

Then comes the lad with the hazel
And the folding star's in the rack
"Night's a good herd," to the cattle he sings
"She brings all things back"

But the bond woman down by the boorie
Sings with a heart grown wild
How a hundred rivers are flowing
Between herself and her child

"The geese, even they trudge homeward
That have their wings and the waste
Let your thoughts be on Night the Herder
And be quiet for a space"

The moon-cradle's rocking and rocking
Where a cloud and a cloud go by
Silent rocking and rocking
The moon-cradle out in the sky

The snipe, they are crying, crying
Liadine, liadine, liadine
Where no track's on the bog, they are flying
A lonely dream will be mine
Where no track's on the bog, they are flying
A lonely dream will be mine

[No lyrics]

Traditional, arr. by Loreena McKennitt

Harking is bonny and there lives my love
My love lies on him and cannot remove
It cannot remove for all that I have done
And I never will forget my love Annachie
For Annachie Gordon, he's bonny and he's bright
He'd entice any woman that e'er, e'er he saw
He'd entice any woman and so he has done me
And I never will forget my love Annachie

Down came her father, he's standing at the door
Saying, "Jeannie, you are trying the tricks of a whore
You care nothing for a man who cares so very much for thee
You must marry Lord Sultan and leave Annachie
For Annachie Gordon, he's barely but a man
Although he may be pretty but where are his lands?
For the Sultan's lands are broad and his towers, they run high
You must marry Lord Sultan and leave Annachie"

"With Annachie Gordon I beg for my bread
Before I marry Sultan, his gold to my head
With gold to my head and straight down to my knee
And I'll die if I don't get my love Annachie
And you who are my parents, to church you may me bring
But unto Lord Sultan I'll never bear a son
To a son or a daughter I'll never bow my knee
And I'll die if I don't get my love Annachie"

Jeannie was married and from church was brought home
When she and her maidens so merry should have been
When she and her maidens so merry should have been
She goes into her chamber and cries all alone

"Come to my bed, my Jeannie, my honey and my sweet
To stile you my mistress, it would be so sweet"
"Be it mistress or Jeanne, it's all the same to me
But in your bed, Lord Sultan, I never will lie"
And down came her father, he's spoken with reknown
Saying, "You who are her maidens, go loosen up her gowns"
And she fell down to the floor and straight down to her knee saying
"Father, look I'm dying for my love Annachie"

The day that Jeanne married was the day that Jeannie died
And the day that young Annachie came home on the tide
And down came her maidens all wringing of their hands
Saying, "Oh it's been so long, you've been so long on the sands
So long on the sands, so long upon the floods
They have married your Jeannie and now she lies dead"

"You who are her maidens, come take me by the hand
And lead me to the chamber where my love, she lies in"
And he kissed her cold lips 'til his heart, it turned to stone
And he died in the chamber that his love, she lies in

Music by Loreena McKennitt
Lyrics traditional, arr. by Loreena McKennit

In one of these lonely Orkney Isles there dwelled a maiden fair
Her cheeks were red, her eyes were blue, she had yellow, curling hair
Which caught the eye and then the heart of one who could never be
A lover of so true a maid or fair a form as she

Across the lake in Sandwick dwelled a youth she held most true
And ever since her infancy he had watched these eyes so blue
The land runs out into the sea, it's a narrow neck of land
Where weird and grim the Standing Stones in a circle where they stand

One bonny moonlight Christmas Eve, they met at that sad place
With her heart in glee and the beams of love were shining on her face
When her lover came and he grasped her hand and what loving words they said
They talked of future's happy days as through the stones they strayed

They walked toward the lovers' stone and through it passed their hands
They plighted there a constant troth sealed by love's steadfast bands
He kissed his maid and then he watched her that lonely bridge go o'er
For little, little did he think, he wouldn't see his darling more

Chorus:
Standing Stones of the Orkney Isles
Gazing out to sea
Standing Stones of the Orkney Isles
Bring my love to me

He turned his face toward his home, that home he did never see
And you shall have the story as it was told to me
When a form upon him sprang with a dagger gleaming bright
It pierced his heart and his dying screams disturbed the silent night

This maid had nearly reached her home when she was startled by a cry
And she turned to look around her and her love was standing by
His hand was pointing to the stars and his eyes gazed at the light
And with a smiling countenance he vanished from her sight

She quickly turned and home she ran, not a word of this was said
For well she knew at seeing his form that her faithful love was dead
And from that day she pined away, not a smile seen on her face
With outstretched arms she went to meet him in a brighter place

(Chorus twice)

Music and lyrics by Loreena McKennitt

Joyful mystery, the birth of our Lord... This night our Lady and St. Joseph was
going up to get registered and, um, they were going down the road and they met
this man and he said, "Have you any room?" and he said, "No, but there's an old
stable over there that I owned, if yous want to go into it." And they went over
and the Lord came down from the heaven at twelve o'clock and loads of beautiful
angels was with them, and when they were walkin'...

I walk the streets of Dublin town
It's eighteen forty-two
It's snowing on this Christmas Eve
Think I'll beg another bob or two
I'll huddle in this doorway here
'Til someone comes along
If the lamp lighter comes real soon
Maybe I'll go home with him
Maybe I can find a place I can call my home
Maybe I can find a home I can call my own

These three wise kings, um, they were all from different countries. And they
always used to look up at the sky and they looked up this night and saw this
beautiful star up in the sky. And when they were going they all meeted together
and they had to pass King Herod's, not that we much care for him. And they went
in and he said, "Where ye goin' with yer best stitches on ye?"

The horses on the cobbled stones go by
Think I'll get one, one fine day
And ride into the countryside
And very far away
But now as the daylight disappears
I best find a place to sleep
Think I'll slip into the bell tower
In the church just down the street
Maybe I can find a place I can call my home
Maybe I can find a home I can call my own

And they said, "Did you not hear the news?" and say he says, "What news?" He
says, "This day the Savior is born." And he says to them, "When you find him
come back and tell me 'cause I want to go and adore him too." And he was only
coddin' them. He wanted to kill him and when they were going, they stopped and
they said, "Surely not this old stable that our King is born in. We were
expecting a palace."

Maybe on the way I'll find the dog
I saw the other night
And tuck him underneath my jacket
So we'll stay warm through the night
And as we lie in the bell tower high
And dream of days to come
The bells o'er head will call the hours
The day we will find a home
Maybe I can find a place I can call my home
Maybe I can find a home I can call my own
Maybe I can find a place I can call my home
Maybe I can find a home I can call my own

There was these shepherds and shepherds are fellas that mind the foals and cows
and sheeps and little lambs and all and, um, they hears this beautiful music up
in the sky and they were wondering what was so fun. An angel disappated them and
he said, "I was wonderin' what was so fun" and he said ye, and he said, "The
savior is born. If yous want to go see him, follow that star up in the sky," and
it was a beautiful star.

Music and lyrics by Loreena McKennitt

I hear some distant drumbeat, a heartbeat pulsing low
Is it coming from within, a heartbeat I don't know?
A troubled soul knows no peace, a dark and poisoned pool
Of liberty now lost, a pawn, an oppressor's tool

Chorus:
Oh my heart be strong
And guide when eyes grow dim
When ears grow deaf with empty words
When I know there's life within

A gunfire shatters silence where birds once sweetly sang
A mother cradles a child now dead, now death where life began
From the troubled heart of South Africa, Nicaragua's festering sore
The turmoil on the streets of China, death crying out for more

(Chorus)

A change is slow in coming, my eyes can scarcely see
The rays of hope come streaming through the smoke of apathy

(Chorus)

May the spirit never die though a troubled heart feels pain
When the long winter is over, it will blossom once again

[No lyrics]