Get all 10 Anne Lister releases available on Bandcamp and save 35%.
Includes unlimited streaming via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality downloads of Root, Seed, Thorn and Flower, A Twist in the Story, The Quiet People, Waiting for the Hero, Singing on the Wind, Prometheus, No Signposts., A Flame in Avalon, and 2 more.
1. |
A Flame in Avalon
04:37
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There is a flame in Avalon to guide the wanderer home
Which we too often lose from sight and think we are alone
There are no signs along the way and each must find a path
And the only clues along the way are clues within the heart.
There is a song in Avalon to heal the wounded soul
That brings peace and love to all our dreams and makes what's
broken whole
Sometimes we hear it in our dreams and wake with salty tears
Sometimes it comes on the darkest night in the forest of our
fears.
And there is a love in Avalon that's patient, strong and wise
Firm as the ground beneath our feet, clearer than summer skies
And those who've seen part of this love don't doubt any more
That it's worth any journey, sailing to the farthest shore.
And there is a dream in Avalon that all can live in peace
Swords will turn to ploughshares and all violence will cease
Justice and freedom triumphing over centuries of pain
Smiles after teardrops, as sunshine follows rain.
But there is a pain in Avalon that's known just to a few
Who find the pathway easily as all true lovers do
And gazing from the gateway they find they can't go inside
But must sing about its beauty to those who need a guide.
There is a flame in Avalon to guide my feet back home
I've been too long travelling and working all alone
You know that you can't follow me, but me I've made my choice
And I'll leave you all my guidebooks, all I'm taking is my voice.
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2. |
No Words
04:54
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It seems there are no words
No names, no dates,no places
All that we need is heard
Not through the lines but the spaces
All that we need comes down to this
Eyes meeting eyes and souls that kiss
In fairy tales the final wish
It seems there are no words.
There's really no need to talk
No stories, no words, no phrases
Songs echo as we walk
Measuring our lives with our paces
You with your life, I with mine
No hidden words, no secret sign
Not the grapes but honeyed wine
It seems there are no words.
Don't walk too close,don't stand too far
Caught in the beam of a billion year old star
The sun has blown fresh tears to my eyes
And taken away all thoughts of disguise....
There's nothing to regret
No lies, no hurt,no treason
From the very first day we met
There was just love beyond all reason
Nothing to beware of, nothing to fear
Nothing to witness,nothing to hear
But a sense of truth when we come near
It seems there are no words.
Don't stand too close¬ don't walk too far ....
Hold me before you go
But don't hold me as a lover
It's clear that we both know
We don't need to cling to each other
Both standing upright, standing apart
Eyes within eyes and heart within heart
Beyond a poet's or musician's art
It seems there are no words.
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3. |
The Tortoise
04:24
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What makes you fly so high said the sparrow
What makes you want to leave the earth below ?
To be lower than your hope leads to sorrow¬ said the lark
And what makes you sing so sweet said the cuckoo
If you've a fine song¬ why not sing it loud ?
There's more done softly than is done in shouting¬ said the dove
And I'd fly high if I could said the dormouse
I'd sing sweetly if I could said the hound
And I'd move fast if I could said the tortoise from the ground
And what a strange thing is man said all creatures
For he can walk and run and swim and fly
He can sing and shout and talk and change his homeplace
And calls life hard ...
What makes you hunt us all said the fieldmouse
What makes you plunge down for the kill ?
Why not ask the bee not to search for blossoms¬ said the hawk
And I'd eat grass if I could said the vulture
I'd hunt flowers if I could said the lion
But I'd leave some alive said the tortoise from the ground
And what a strange thing is man said all creatures
He'll hunt and kill all living things the same
He'll destroy the earth and everything within it
And say he's won
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4. |
May Morning
03:12
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Did you hear the sun on a bright may morning
Did you hear the sun when he played at dawn
Did you hear the sun on a bright may morning
Call down a blessing on the growing corn ?
And where were you as the dawn was breaking
Were you still asleep in bed ?
With the world all dancing to the pipes of the sun
And a song of gold in every head.
You live in the city all wrapped in concrete
With nothing but pavements beneath your feet
How can you hear the world as it's turning
Or dance to the rhythm of the changing beat ?
Here's a garland for the lady in every hedgerow
Here's a song for the sun and a dance for the moon
Here's a laugh for the living and a prayer for the dying
And a wish for the world to all sing in tune.
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5. |
The Song of the Knife
03:56
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Listen to the singing of the knife
Listen to the story it told to me
All men are equal and some are free
That's how we justify life
Listen to the singing of the blade
Listen to the story it told last night
All men know evil and some know right
That's why we should be afraid.
You were the one who made a choice
You were the one who had a voice
You were the one who picked me up
Held me in his arms
You were the one who sharpened me
You were the one who hefted me
What kind of argument could There be
That you didn't mean any harm ?
Listen ..
You were the one who christened me
You were the one who bloodied me
You were the one who carved a pattern
Along my hilt
Yours was the argument yours the war
Yours the prize worth fighting for
Now it's time to count the score
And settle the guilt.
Listen ...
All through the centuries through the years
The knife blade sings of blood and tears
The knife blade sings of rage and fears
The killing and the pain
There's no conscience in the blade that kills
There's no desire and no lust to still
The knife just does as its master wills
And death leaves a stain.
Listen ...
I did not choose my master, said the knife
I did not choose my victim,said the knife
I did not choose the way
The place, the year or day
I did not choose my master, said the knife.
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6. |
Morte d'Arthur
04:15
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After the battle the daylight faded
And darkness fell not a word was spoken
I stood by the king a while and waited
The sword in his hand like his heart was broken
And what did he say but to throw the sword away
Throw it in the water that ever runs deep
What did he say but to throw the sword away
And then he said- then he could sleep.
By the lakeside the seabirds were calling
I stood by the water with the sword in my hand
And all around me the shadows were falling
Darkness fell on all the green land
And what could I do but to walk back to the king
The broken sword hanging more heavy than gold
But how could I throw the sword into the lake
May God forgive me the lies that I told.
Again he looked at me his eyes as dark as pain
Told me to take the sword to the lake
Told me to throw it till it flew to its home again
Told me to be sure and make no mistake
And down by the lakeside once more the seabirds called
The still waters lying as heavy as death
But I took the sword and threw it towards the sky
And as it fell I heard a soft sighing breath.
In the lake rose an arm clothed in samite
In the lake rose an arm clothed in white
The hand caught the sword and waved it three times round
And darkness fell, darker than midnight.
When I reached the battlefield the king was no longer there
I ran to the cliff top and looked to the sea
A ship on the water with sails of silver
And four ladies standing their backs turned to me
And Arthur between them sailing to Avalon
The coastline of Albion slowly turned black
And I walked homewards into the darkness
To wait for the day when the king will come back.
For there's no end now to my story
There's no end to the tale that I've told
The hand caught the sword and waved it three times round
The time will come when the dark will turn gold.
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7. |
Definition
03:27
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I am the wine you poured when you needed cheering
I am the cup that you raised to your trembling lips
I am the comfort that speaks below peoples§ hearing
I bring you peace and love as a free-given gift.
I am the road you travel on while you're escaping
I am the steering wheel moving beneath your two hands
I bring relief from the troubles of your own making
I am the solid ground which helps you to stand.
I'm in the bubbles of hope¬ not the prickles of envy
I'm in the seesaws of love¬ not the fog of despair
I'm in the wildness of joy¬ not the madness of frenzy
I'm in the shining stars¬ not the spotlight glare.
I am the calm that comes when the storm is over
I am the freshness that comes when the rainshowers cease
I am the sunset gleam and the dawn's first glimmer
I have no limits or rules where I spread my peace.
I am the smile that comes between sleeping and waking
I am the strength that you find when the world falls apart
I am the friends that come round when your heart is breaking
I am the music that plays to the beat of your heart.
I make no guarantees and I make no bargains
Make no decisions about when to enter the game
Choose my time to arrive and bring my own comfort
Everyone knows me and calls me by their own name ....
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8. |
Lullaby
04:27
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Rockabye baby, cradle and all
I'll tell you a story as night starts to fall
I'll tell you a story as day turns to night
All the best fairytales all turn out right.
In all of the stories whenever you're crying
Someone is passing by, walking or flying
Godmothers,fairies or angels on high
You can be sure you'll be heard when you cry.
Frogs are all princes, ugly ducklings are swans
There's magic at hand when all hope is gone
Poor folk and honest folk always win through
How I wish fairytales always came true.
There's always a way to win through to the treasure
There's just enough pain before you find the pleasure
If you think that you're beaten help comes along
And it's easy to see who's right and who's wrong
And just when you think that your heart has been broken
A prince comes along with a slipper or token
It's you that he's looking for, you that he kisses
Why is it in real life there are so many misses ?
Hold on to the hand of your sister or brother
And keep clear away from your wicked stepmother
Children take action, the youngest are strongest
Spells by the good fairy always last longest
Rags turn to riches and stones turn to jewels
There's always a punishment if you are cruel
So rockabye baby until it is morning
You'll find life's not quite like this - ¬ this is a warning.
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9. |
Hawthorn
03:42
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I cut and peeled a hawthorn wand
And held it firmly in my hand
And wandered down a winding path
Through all the forests in the land
Last night I saw him in my dreams
Tall and slender as a willow
He whispered songs into my heart
And laid a leaf upon my pillow.
I saw his face in the rippling trees
Heard his voice as the yew tree shook
Heard him singing on an eastern breeze
Saw his smile in a running brook
I saw him standing crisp and clear
Underneath a rainbow ray
And he has never seemed so clear
As when I saw him far away
And who will open the gate for me
When my wandering comes to an end
And who will wait on the road of dreams
To be my lover or be my friend ?
For now the roads that I walk down
Are lined with oak and ash and thorn
I'll build my love a forest crown
And dance with him from dusk till dawn.
If you would walk on the road of dreams
Take someone there to be your guide
Know that nothing is as it seems
And you need someone by your side.
I see him standing in my dreams
Tall and slender as a willow
He whispers songs into my heart
And lays may blossom on my pillow.
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10. |
Icarus
03:04
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I never wanted to fly high ¬ I was fond of walking
So when you said you'd reach the sky
I thought it was a way of talking
But you told me you'd build some wings¬
You'd thought out how it could be done
And I was doubtful of everything
Never thought you'd reach the sun.
You were so clever with your hands
I watched you for hours
With your glue and rubber bands
Feathers and lace and flowers
And the finished wings they gleamed so bright
Like some bird of glory
I began to envy you your flight
Like some hero's story.
You asked me to go along with you
Tried all ways to dare me
But I looked at the sky so blue
And said the height would scare me
But I carried the wings for you
Up the path to the cliff face
Kissed you goodbye and watched your eyes
Already bright with sunshine.
It was so wonderful at the start
To watch you soaring higher
It was a pain deep in my heart
The wings seemed tipped with fire
Like some seagull or some lark
Soaring to the heavens
Like some ember or some spark
Vanishing from earth for ever.
And I believed you'd reach the sun
I believed all you'd told me
You'd do a thing no man had ever done
And catch a star to please me
But then I saw the white wings fold
Saw the feathers tremble
Watched you fall like a ball of gold
The waves and waters ripple.
There are some who are born to rise
And some are born to follow
Some who head straight for the skies
And some walk in the hollow
And as I watched your body fall
I knew that really you had won
For your grave was not the earth
But the reflection of the sun.
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11. |
The Goddess and the Sea
03:31
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I do not want my son to go to war
Said the goddess to the sea
Or find what swords and shields are for
But keep him safe with me
I'll dress him sweetly as a girl
And keep him hidden from the world
And when the battle flags unfurl
Achilles will be safe.
I do not wish my son to suffer pain
Said the goddess to the sea
Or live with human stress and strain
But keep him safe with me
I'll wash his body in a healing charm
To keep him covered¬ free from harm
And closer than a mother's arms
Achilles will be safe.
But when the heroes sailed for Troy
They took with them the golden boy
They tricked him with a sword and shield
And took him training in the field
And no-one noticed that his heel
Wasn't covered by the charm.
If my son must fight I'll arm him well
Said the goddess to the sea
He'll be a hero of tales they'll tell
If I can't keep him safe with me
He led a troop of handpicked men
Who hacked and killed and hacked again
And all the Trojans shuddered when
Achilles went to war.
What is it between gods and men
Said the goddess to the sea
They fight and talk but fight again
It makes no sense to me
Peace can't last and nor can truce
There's just this game called lose and lose
The hanged man picks another noose
Achilles is the same.
And when the heroes ran for Troy
With the first ran the golden boy
He burned for anger¬ burned for fame
He burned to win a lasting name
Like an arrow speeding to its aim
Achilles ran to death.
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12. |
Pause Awhile
03:04
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To every evening there is a sunset
To every morning there is a dawn
To every new thing there is an ending
For every death something new is born.
So I won't see this time as final
I won't see this time with pain
Pause awhile along the pathway
Pick the suitcase up again.
All the pinks and blues of evening
All the reds and gold of day
All the greens and browns of living
Make the clear light along the way.
And all the good times start with strangers
Becoming lovers or becoming friends
And if this change now seems full of danger
It's a beginning and not an end.
And every dream is a hope that beckons
Every success is a dream that's won
And every failure's another lesson
And every morning sees a rising sun.
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Anne Lister Wales, UK
Anne is best known for her song "Icarus", recorded and performed by a number of different singers, including Martin Simpson and Nic Jones. "Astrolabe" is her ninth solo album.
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