Sleepless

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Track List:

(Click on a track to see the lyrics)

1 Cobblers Daughter
2 I Wonder What Is Keeping My True Love This Night
3 Fairest of All Yarrow
4 Unquiet Grave
5 Sho Heen
6 Sweet Bride
7 All God's Angels
8 Wild Goose
9 Duke and the Tinker
10 Our Town
11 Sleepless Sailor
12 Cowsong [*]
13 Botany Bay [*]

(* Bonus Track, available on US release only; so far as I know anyways).


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The Cobbler's Daughter


I am a cobbler's daughter
I'm thought of rude and mean
But a finer and a bonnier lass
You have never seen
I've plagued my father's head
For my life I wouldn't wed
And my mother's in the prison cause of me


There was a handsome young man
Who used to live near me
If I went out, if I went in
He'd always follow me
I'll never rue the day
It happened as I say
I led him to my chamber room to see


I led him to my chamber
So we could be alone
And knowing that my mother
And my father were at home
He kissed me on the cheek
And I screamed till I was weak
My father came a running to the door


He's jumped upon the young man
As I was standing by
But he brought his fist behind his head
And thumped him in the eye
Then my mother heard the din
Up the stairs she did begin
With a broom for a weapon she held high


Out ran the young man
To the stairs straightway
But my mother she was waiting
Like a raging bull I'd say
She's hit him on the head
The young man fell like lead
Quite dead upon the floor he lay



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I wonder What Is Keeping My True Love This Night


I wonder what is keeping my true love this night
I wonder what is keeping him out of my sight
I wonder if he knows of the pain I endure
And stays from me this night I'm not sure


Oh love are you coming your cause to advance
Or yet are you waiting for a far far better chance
Are you coming for to tell me you've a new love in store
Or are you coming for to tell me you love me no more


For I can love lightly and I can love strong
I can love the old love till the new love comes on
I only said I loved you for to give your heart ease
And when I'm not with you I'll love whom I please


There's gold in my pocket and pain in my heart
For I can't love a man with too many sweethearts
You're my first and only false love but it's lately I knew
That the stronger I loved you the falser you grew


The spring grass grows the greenest and spring water runs clear
I'm sorry and tormented for the love of my dear
Your love it lies so lightly as the dew on the thorn
That's there in the evening and away with the dawn



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The Fairest of all Yarrow


Billy's fair and Billy's rare
And Billy's wondrous bonny
And Billy promised to marry me
If e'er he'd marry any
And Billy promised to marry me
If e'er he'd marry any


Late last night I'm in my bed
Waiting on my lover
And there I waited all night long
My heart won't take another
Oh there I waited all night long
My heart won't take another


Came you by yon water side
Past the rose and lily
Or came you by yon meadow green
Or saw you my sweet Billy
Or came you by yon meadow green
Or saw you my sweet Billy


She's sought him east
And she's sought him west
She sought him broad and narrow
She shought him in another's arms
The fairest of all Yarrow
She shought him in another's arms
The fairest of all Yarrow



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The Unquiet Grave


How pleasant is the wind tonight
I feel some drops of rain
I never had but one true love
In greenwood he lies slain
I'll do so much for my true love
As any young girl may
I'll sit and mourn all on your grave
For twelve months and a day


The twelve months and a day being up
The ghost began to speak
Why sit you here and mourn for me
And you will not let me sleep
What do you want of me sweetheart
Oh what is it you crave
Just one kiss of your lily white lips
And that is all I crave


Oh don't you see the fire sweetheart
The fire that burns so blue
Where my poor soul tormented is
All for the love of you
And if you weren't my own sweetheart
As I know you well to be
I'd rend you up in pieces small
As leaves upon a tree


Mourn not for me my dearest dear
Mourn not for me I crave
I must leave you and all the world
And turn into my grave



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Sho Heen


Sleep my friend now I'll watch o'er you
The moon is here and the stars adore you
Close your eyes and you'll sleep just fine
Said my guardian angel once upon a time


Chorus
Sho Heen Sho lo, lu la lo, lu la lo
Sho Heen Sho lo, lu la lo, lu la lo


Why has my angel gone from me
The moon I fear and the stars fall on me
I won't close my eyes 'till the morning light
Oh bring on the sun I cannot rest tonight


Sleep my friend oh I'll watch o'er you
The moon is here and the stars adore you
Close your eyes and sleep tonight
Oh my blessed angel, here again, goodnight



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Sweet Bride


A lady was walking on a midsummer's day
The birds they were whistling so merrily and gay
When along came a white steed in the finest array
And it carried a young man these words he did say


Chorus
Come live by the great moon
That rules the strong tide
Climb up on my horse love
And be my sweet bride


I bid you good morning, this young man did say
And where might you be going on such a nice day
I'm walking to view sir the bonny blue sea
For it's all I have left now that means much to me


(Chorus)


If that's all you love now, come riding with me
You'll live in my castle deep under the sea
You'll sleep in my gold bed, my fine silken sheets
And have gifts of great beauty from all that you meet


(Chorus)


She's up in the saddle and away they did ride
The horse skipped and danced over waves on the tide
Now she's only remembered by this story I tell
From an old man on horseback who once knew her well


(Chorus)



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All God's Angels


Will you marry me sir
Oh tether me down
For I am too free
Will you walk hand in hand with me
For I do carry a child by thee


Oh madam, I'll not marry thee
For I'm married away
And I'll always be
I'll not walk hand in hand with thee
Even though you've a child by me


Oh sir, heartbroken I'll be
Is she finer than I
Is she tall and lean
Is she the rarest you've ever seen
Of your own heart is she the queen


Oh madam, she's twenty of thee
She's tall and she's lean
How she smiles on me
She's the rarest, she is my queen
I'll never care for a girl like thee


Oh sir, than shamed am I
I'll run to the fields
And it's there I'll die
There God's Angels will around me fly
There they'll care for my child and I



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The Wild Goose


Did you ever see the wild goose sailing on the ocean
Ranzo my boys oh Ranzo Ray
They're just like them pretty girls when they get the notion
Ranzo my boys oh Ranzo Ray


Chorus
Ranzo you'll rue the day
As the wild goose sails away


As I was walking one evening by the river
Ranzo my boys oh Ranzo Ray
I met with a pretty girl my heart it was a quiver
Ranzo my boys oh Ranzo Ray


(Chorus x 2)


I said how are you doing this morning
Ranzo my boys oh Ranzo Ray
She said none the better for the seeing of you
Ranzo my boys oh Ranzo Ray


(Chorus x 2)


You broke my heart oh you broke it full sore o'
Ranzo my boys oh Ranzo Ray
If I sail like the wild goose
you'll break it no more o'
Ranzo my boys oh Ranzo Ray


(Chorus x 2)



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The Duke and the Tinker


As fame reports a young duke kept a court
He pleased himself with his frolicsome sport
He found a poor tinker lying drunk on the ground
In such a deep sleep he heard not a sound


He said to his men, Richard, William, and Ben
We'll away to my palace and we'll sport with him then
He was carefully carried to the palace so grand
None would compare in all of this land


They stripped him down bare and he had not a care
They washed down his body, his face and his hair
They put on a nightgown of bright crimson and red
And left him to sleep in the duke's golden bed


In the morning when day, then admiring he lay
For to see the rich chamber both gaudy and gay
He looked all around him and was so amazed
And admired how he to this honor was raised


Though he seemed somewhat mute, he chose a rich suit
Which he straightway put on without longer dispute
From a place of convenience, the duke his good grace
Observed the man, in every case


A fine dinner was dressed both for him and his guests
He was placed at the table above all the rest
He had wine, he had brandy and soon he did snore
Being seven times drunker than ever before


Then the duke did ordain they should strip him again
And restore him to a tinker, and to ever remain
Again he was carried to the side of the road
Back once again where they first found their load


He slept all the night as indeed he well might
But when he did waken his joys took their flight
Oh the power and the glory so pleasant did seem
He thought it to be but a mere golden dream



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The Sleepless Sailor


I once was a sailor, a young man and brave
Da da dum, da da dum dee
My nights were once sleepless,
My peace I would crave
Carry me home to the sea


Chorus
Da da dum day, da da dum dee
Drift away sailor boys on the deep sea
Worry no more for you're safe now with me
Rest in my arms and my sweet melody


One night as I'm stood on the deck in the rain
Da da dum, da da dum dee
I heard a sweet voice and she's singing my name
Carry me back to the sea


(Chorus)


Oh rock me so gently now ocean so deep
Da da dum, da da dum dee
I wish I was back, cause I think I can't sleep
Carry me home to the sea


(Chorus)



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