Sunrise
Lyrics by Simon Jones
Music by Simon Huw Jones and Justin Jones
The floodplain is still.
With our weariness, the days end.
Back to the wooded hill
Our leaning shadows lengthen
And though our bodies rest,
Our minds still reach up through the leaves
for the purple Pershore plums.
Thread smooth ladders through the trees.
The sun sets on the vans
As the abby bells peal
Through the radio hum
Over the silted fields,
It splinters through the crates,
And seeps through the churns;
Over Mick Preece washing,
its gilt ray turns
All for a second to gold.
Water like a scar snakes his ribs
And glints and drips
into the swilling bowl...
The sun sets in Georgia's eyes.
The sun sets and the wasp hum dies.
The sun sets in Georgia's eyes.
Naked to the waist,
Tight plum stuck skin
On my arms around her
In my wasp-numb touch
As the floodplain floods over us
In the green darkness of the grass smell
And her river scented dress
And the TV's flicker grey
And they flicker blue.
And there is nothing on the floodplain.
A child's voice sings with the sunrise
Its boy-voice high and thin,
As still as the morning reeds.
The sun rises with the babies' heads
To the mother breast.
The Dutchman
Lyrics by Simon Huw Jones and Steven Burrows
Music by AATT
With the grace of God
And the gift of peace,
The strain of timbers
Beneath my feet.
Beneath my feet.
As I sail alone
These uncharted seas
One woman's love
Could set me free.
Could set me free.
A score of years,
My hellish home.
Aboard this ship
that dies of shame
No helmsman holds
The port of souls
Of life and death,
To me denied.
In the pallid night,
With no stars to guide,
The trades of hope
rage in my mind.
Rage in my mind.
In the hallowed land
Of my fever dreams,
Your fathom passion
Releases me.
Releases me.
A score of years,
My hellish home.
Aboard this ship
that dies of shame
No helmsman holds
The port of souls
Of life and death,
To me denied.
A score of years,
My hellish home.
Aboard this ship
that dies of shame
No helmsman holds
The port of souls
Of life and death,
To me denied.
The Flatlands
Lyrics by Simon Jones
Music by AATT
She knew in time that
the gate would swing.
She knew in time that
She would look up and see him...
Behind the elms,
the snow clouds were gathering.
Into the winter,
her voice would sing.
She would stand and face the wind
Over the flatlands came its tenor roar,
Its legion force.
And she would sing...
Beneath the pylons,
In lace white fields
We cut the violets
that came like phantom spring.
Dress billowing
Down the path into the wind.
She knew in time that
the gate would swing.
She would stand and face the wind
Over the flatlands came its tenor roar,
Its legion force.
And she would sing...
Out of the silence,
She raked the leaves.
I stood beside her
Beneath the giant trees...
I thought I saw
a figure wading through the corn.
She knew in time that
the gate would swing.
She would stand and face the wind
Over the flatlands came its tenor roar,
Its legion force.
And she would sing...
