JC Songs (alphabetically)
Click on song title for words and chords
* = Free acoustic download available (visit 'Songs-Audio' page)
A Night on the Town
(J.Clachan 15/08/19) G
V1.
G
A country fox came into town
For to meet two cousins there.
He said ‘I’ve travelled many miles tonight -
Am D
Have you some food to share?
Am D
For the farmers have all locked their sheds
G C
And ‘chicken wired’ their hens,
C Am
And the geese and lambs and piglets are
D G C/Am/D/G
All shut inside their pens.’
.........................................
V.2
The city foxes winked their eyes
And beckoned ‘follow on’ -
‘We’ll show you such a feast of gods
For you to feed upon.
We never need to dig for worms
Or hunt for sewer rats,
Our food comes from the high street –
It’s our favourite habitat.
.........................................
V.3
‘Twas not long after midnight,
Those streets were paved with gold -
Kentucky fried and fish and chips
And Burgers three days old.
With so much garbage strewn about,
You might well think it strange
But they rummaged through the waste bins too -
No wonder they’d got mange!
.........................................
V.4
The country Reynard sniffed around
Then asked ‘ So where’s the food?’
‘I can’t believe you eat this stuff
And, please don’t think me rude,
Do you realise why human hearts
Get ‘furred up’ like they do?
They’re choked up with cholesterol
And yours will soon be too.’
.........................................
V.5
But these warning words fell on deaf ears,
Those foxes turned their backs,
For one had found some chilli sauce
In an open refuse sack.
‘Leave us to our ‘haute cuisine’,
We’ll meet again someday’
And they tucked into a doggy bag
Of Chinese take-away.
.........................................
V.6
So back along the town’s high street
Our country cousin came
And outside every shop front
He found more of the same -
‘Fast food remnants thrown away,
This wastage is obscene
But I’d rather see my belly starve
Than eat what I’ve just seen.’
Narrowboatman Again
(J. Clachan) G
V1.
G ?* C G
One week off, I’m afloat again with my mac and brolly in the pouring rain.
?* C G
A large hot toddy in my trembling hands, it’s here I’ll make my stand.
?* C
I’m done with the work and the daily grind; if my friends can’t see,
G
they must be blind.
?* C
I pass through a lock and see the sun come through, all alone I’m the
G
only crew.
...................................
Chorus
C F C
The kingfisher sits as the boats go by, the sun’s going down in the
G
evening sky,
C F C G
I’m never going back to the hue and cry, I’m a narrowboatman again.
...................................
V2.
I rise up at dawn and I laugh and sing, I moor up for lunch at a wayside inn.
The afternoon’s a gentle crawl, well met, hail fellows all.
...................................
Chorus
...................................
V3.
By the end of the week I’m a connoisseur, my mind’s in tune with the engine’s purr,
Three more locks to the winding hole, I’ve almost reached my goal.
And now the yard comes into view, I steer her in, my aim is true,
A last goodbye to my old friend, my journey’s at an end.
...................................
Chorus x 2
* ?? Chord is made up of the following notes - GDCF
Neanderthal
(John Clachan C1987) Am cap 5
V1.
Am D
Half a million years ago, watching the ice age come and go,
Am C G D
Stood a race of half-men and we call them Neanderthal.
Am D
Gentle, solemn creatures all, silent, strong with bodies small,
Am C G D
In intuition they stood tall and we call them Neanderthal.
...............................................
Chorus.
D7 Am
Oh Oh Neanderthal, how they mock you how they scorn,
D7 F G D
Oh Oh Neanderthal, there’s a little of you in each man born.
...............................................
V.2
Other tribes and other races, different skins and different faces,
Pushed you out from all your places, they weren’t Neanderthal.
They used language, you used notions, they made wars while you made potions,
Thousands more across the oceans, to end Neanderthal.
..............................................
Chorus. V.3
So were you beaten and defeated, or did your race get better treated,
If you mixed your blood then you live on Neanderthal.
You used left hand, we use right, to you we owe our inner sight,
When we use sixth sense we just might be part Neanderthal.
All Inside the Head
(J.Clachan 19/02/20) D cap 2
V1.
D
Well, I first felt a tickle, then a tiny little trickle,
D A
Then a muffled little sneeze took hold.
A
As the evening slipped by, so my throat got dry
A A7 D
And I thought I had the starting of a cold.
.................................
V.2
G D
As I sneezed some more, and my throat grew sore,
A D/D7
I knew there was nothing I could do.
G D
As I lay in bed, wth an aching head,
A A7
It was turning into full ‘man’ flu.
.................................
Chorus
G D
It’s a fact, it’s a riddle, it’s a curse
A A7 D
That half of human beings get it worse!
G Bm
‘Man’ flu is just the cold your lady had
G A D
But the symptoms are always twice as bad.
.................................
V.3
From a sleepless night, what a ghastly sight,
I awoke, ill as anyone could be.
When I blew my nose, so my lady rose
For she knew she’d never get her cup of tea.
.................................
V.4
What with aching bones and my grumbles and groans,
I said ‘Maybe I should stay in bed!’.
At my feeble cough, she pulled the bedclothes off
And said ‘Your ‘man’ flu is all inside your head’.
.................................
Chorus / V.5
Well, I did my best, with my bunged up chest,
Just to carry on as if I wasn’t ill.
And whenever I sneezed, or coughed or wheezed,
I simply went and took another pill.
.................................
V.6
Having peeled the spuds, under nasal floods,
I thought I’d better rest and take a break.
Then my wife with scorn, as I lay forlorn,
Said ‘You’ve only got a cold for heaven’s sake’.
.................................
Chorus / V.7
It’s a funny old thing, what ‘man’ flu brings.
Why does he get it worse and him alone?
When his wife gets ill, she carries on still
And everything gets done around the home.
.................................
V.8
When this illness strikes, and he looks ghostlike,
Then spare the little sympathy he seeks.
It must be worse than giving birth, and, for what it’s worth,
He’ll carry on the agony for weeks!
The Next Generation
(J.Clachan 07/08/2018) G cap 3
G C/G C/
Pick up the mantle,
G C / G C
Hold the lantern high in the air.
G C/G C/
Take up the banner,
G C / G
It’s your world now, so treat her with care.
C
Time is racing,
C F/C
Be true to your hopes and idylls,
G C/G C/
Start doing what’s right.
G C G
The sooner you mend her, the sooner she heals and
D
Fights back on your side.
C
Be honest and brave,
D
The fuse has been lit,
C
But there’s so little time left to
G C/G C/
Stand up and be counted.
G C /G
While creatures on earth hold on to their breath,
G C/G C/
It’s now in your hands -
G C / G
You’ll either be in at the death......
D
Or the birth of humility.
C
Live up to this brief exhortation,
G C/G C/
Don’t leave it again......
G C/G C/
In the hands of the next generation.
G C/G C
Don’t leave it again......
G C / G
In the hands of the next generation.
And I Wait
(J. Clachan – 27/11/2019) G cap 1
V.1
G
Barely a mile from ‘Old Father Thames’,
C
On the edge of the Becontree housing estate,
D C
It’s murky and cold at this time of the year.
D C
The fog’s rolling in and I’m shedding a tear
D G
As I lie wide awake and I wait.
...............................
V.2
For it’s late ‘59 and I shiver in bed -
My hot water bottle, an icy cold slate.
There’s no central heating or coal in the shed.
The fog’s getting thicker, my eyes are all red,
And I lie wide awake and I wait.
...............................
Chorus
Em D
On the river, the tide rushes in through the night
G C
And the big ships are stirring their old metal bones.
C D
The anchors are ‘weighed’, and the cargo’s packed tight,
C D G
And the foghorns start making their moans.
...............................
V.3
I lie in my fear and instinctively know
That the klaxons will start when the hour gets late.
I’ve a chill in my bones and the minutes go slow.
The fog swirls around as I hear a horn blow
And I lie wide awake and I shake.
...............................
V.4
Now the booms in the night make a frightening sound
And the air in the room almost seems to vibrate.
I’m a four year old lad and my head’s spinning round.
The fog’s like pea soup, the echoes resound,
And I lie wide awake and I shake.
...............................
Chorus
But out on the river the boats take their chance
And, although visibility’s practically nil,
The fog makes them lead a precarious dance
To a tune that stirs deep in me still.
...............................
V.5
For I’ve turned sixty four and, as the years passed,
I thought those old memories had slipped through the gate
But, here in my mind, they’ve returned from the past.
The fog horns still send their evocative blast
And I shed a small tear and I shake.
...............................
Repeat V.1
Nicolai Copernicus
(J.Clachan 06/06/19) Em cap 1
V1.
Em D Em
He sits in his tower, he’s never alone,
C D Em
With the ghosts of his past at his side.
Em D Em
Eyes following the path of the Vistula river,
C D G
He thinks about life’s ebbing tide.
..............................
Chorus
Am Em
Nicolai Copernicus, what will you say
C D
When some of your theories prove wrong?
Am Em
Nicolai Copernicus, what will they say
C D
When they find out you knew all along?
Em C/D/Em C/D/Em
Find out you knew all along.
..............................
V2.
This colourless man lived in shadows and fear,
With a dread that could not be relieved,
Weighed down by the burden he carried through life,
A fear that he’d not be believed.
..............................
Chorus
Nicolai Copernicus, what will they do
When they see through your tricks on the page?
Nicolai Copernicus, what will you do
If you find yourself laughed off the stage?
Find yourself laughed off the stage.
..............................
V3.
He held back from printing his long waited book,
Excuses increasingly thin,
But they prised every page from his trembling hands
As his crumbling resistance gave in.
..............................
Chorus
Nicolai Copernicus, what will you think
When the fame and the glory arrives?
Nicolai Copernicus, what will they think
When the men of Rome sharpen their knives?
The men of Rome sharpen their knives.
..............................
Break / V4.
History credits and gives you respect
For your heliocentric truth
But, with so many flaws in your figures and works,
You could never come up with the proof.
..............................
Chorus
Nicolai Copernicus, what did you feel
When you held your great book at the end?
Nicolai Copernicus, what did they feel
As they watched your spirit ascend?
Watched your spirit ascend.
Another Fine Member of the Human Race
(J. Clachan - 03/2019) Key D
V.1
D
Now I like to think that I live each day
G D
In a co-existing peaceful way
Em A A7
But, although I turn the other cheek,
D A D
There’s another young man of whom I’ll speak.
.............................
V.2
He’s there in every walk of life,
Doing nothing better than causing strife.
His every gain will be your loss,
He’s a football yob, he’s a company boss.
...............................
Chorus
G
He could be us, that’s me and you,
D A
We’re not so very far removed.
D A D G
But I think that you should have no doubt,
D G D Em
He’ll turn your pockets inside out.
Em A A7
And, if you complain, he’s in your face,
D A D
He’s another fine member of the human race.
.............................
V.3
You’ll find our friend in town at night,
He’s a real he-man in a big gang fight.
He struts his stuff in a four by four,
He’s from Timbuktoo, he’s the guy next door.
.............................
V.4
He’s power mad and he talks abrupt,
In positions of trust he’ll prove corrupt.
He’ll lie and, if the truth be told,
He’d turn out his mother in the freezing cold.
...............................
Chorus / V.5
He’s an angry man in a spiteful rage,
He’s like a wild beast in a cage.
He’ll smile and charm you for your vote
While fleecing the pockets of your overcoat.
.............................
V.6
He trolls and trawls on the internet,
He’s out for all that he can get
But, when he grabs a hold on you,
He’ll make you squirm with blackmail too.
...............................
Chorus / V.7
As human beings we can be quite nice;
That’s quite aside from our greed and vice
And the way we treat our fellow man
And use poor Earth as a garbage can.
.............................
V.8
I’m trying to keep these words polite,
Some people can’t tell wrong from right.
So, if these words ring true to you,
Then why not change the things you do.
...............................
Chorus x2
The Old Brown Shoes Kept Walking
(J. Clachan 2015) D cap 2
V.1
D Em
He turned his back on the coloured fields,
D A
The greens and reds and golds.
D Em
There were no goodbyes as he turned his heels
D A/D
And the old brown shoes kept walking.
G D G A
In spring and summer he worked his way
Em A
And his hands did all his talking.
Em D G A
Then, with autumn gone, he took his pay
D A/D
And the old brown shoes kept walking.
...................................
V.2
He tilled the land and he sowed the seeds,
In the greens and reds and golds,
Giving his life to the farmer’s needs
And the old brown shoes kept walking.
He made few friends for he would not stay
And his hands did all his talking.
With the corn stacked high, he was on his way
And the old brown shoes kept walking.
...................................
V.3
Folks all asked when he took to the hills,
From the greens and reds and golds,
How did he keep from the winter’s chills
When the old brown shoes kept walking?
When springtime came he’d be at the door,
His hands doing all his talking,
And, bending his back in the fields once more,
The old brown shoes kept walking.
...................................
V.4
Then one year and no knock came,
In the greens and reds and golds,
No bending back in the sun and rain
For the old brown shoes kept walking.
The farming folk all wondered why,
Their tongues did lots of talking,
And the answer came from far away
That the old brown shoes kept walking.
When pints were drank at the end of the day,
And tongues did all their talking,
The only thing that they could say
Was the old brown shoes kept walking.
One Copper Brown
(J. & C. Clachan 19/04/22) E
V.1
E D E
I’ll tell you what I heard today,
D A E /D/A/
Sung from the latest broadside.
E D E
Before the bard went on his way
D A
He told about Lord Nelson’s fray
D A E /D/A/E
And the enemy he defied.
.......................
V.2
I paid the bard one copper brown
To hear the news of England’s fleet.
He’d carried word from town to town
Of how Lord Nelson brought the French down
Leading Boney to defeat.
......................
Chorus
B E
But though we cheered and roared ‘Hooray’
B E
And backs were slapped in wild acclaim,
B C#
The bard had further news that day,
A
His words then carried on to say
A B
Bold Nelson he was slain.
......................
V.3
It changed our mood, the news was cruel.
The only compensation to be found
Was that the finest admiral of them all
Had won the day, before his fall,
For England and Crown.
......................
V.4
Throughout the country news was passed
By word of mouth and hand-me-down,
The bards regaling to the last
This stirring tale that was broadcast
All for one copper brown.
......................
Chorus / V.3 (rpt)
Are We All Alone?
(J. & C. Clachan – 02/2021) F
V.1
F Bb C
I sometimes look into the evening sky,
F Bb C
Where the seeds of many questions have been sown
F Bb C
And, as the starlight shines into my eyes,
Dm Bb
I glimpse a bigger picture,
Dm Bb
Beyond the here and now,
Gm C F
And can’t believe that humans are alone.
...............................
V.2
There are myriads of stars so clear to see
And just as many more are still unknown.
The colours of their spectrum are the key
To endless variation
And conditions for creation,
Forging life forms quite unlike our own.
..................................
Chorus
F
Is there anybody looking down?
Am
Are we just a part of one big plan?
Bb F
Or maybe we’re a mutant aberration,
Gm
A transitory flicker;
C F The flawed, imperfect life force known as man.
..............................
V.3
We used to think that Earth was at the centre
Of a universe created just for man
But as we travelled humankind’s adventure,
The cosmos grew much larger,
Earth’s importance smaller
And the shrinking of man’s vanity began.
..............................
Chorus / V.4
And so I look up to the stars at night
And wonder what will be our final fate.
Perhaps we’ll never reach those points of light
But there must surely to be a chance
Other life is more advanced
And maybe all we have to do is wait.
..............................
Chorus
The One, Two, Three Hop
(J. Clachan 24/01/20) C
CC/CC/AmAm/AmAm / CC/CC/GG/GG
CC/CC/AmAm/AmAm / CC/CC/GG/CC
GG/CC
....................................
V.1
C
I was the last one picked from the line of lads
F G C
But I couldn’t blame the girls,
C
For every step, in every dance,
D G
Just had me in a whirl.
F C
If anyone went the wrong way,
F D
You can guess it would be me
F C
And, although I tried the best I could,
G C
My feet were all at sea.
.....................................
Chorus
C F C
For I can’t dance the polka
G C
And I don’t know how to reel,
C F C
I’ll never dance a hornpipe
D G
Or spin upon my heel.
F C
The slip jig is a mystery,
F D
So I think that you’ll agree
F
That the one, two, three hop,
C
One, two, three hop’s
G C F/C/G/C
Just the dance for me.
....................................
V.2
I never did like smooching,
It caused me desperate woe,
As simply shuffling round and round
I tramped on every toe.
When waltzing with my sweetheart
I’d make the poor girl hop.
I whispered ‘What’s your heart’s desire?’
She said ‘Make the music stop!’
.....................................
Chorus / V.3
Whenever you see me ‘line dance’,
I’m the one that’s out of line.
Whenever I’m at a ceilidh,
My feet move out of time.
I watch with admiration
When couples jive and swing
But when I try to do the same
It’s like the highland fling!
.....................................
Chorus / V.4
When the Cotswold Morris dancers
Came calling me one day,
I said ‘I can’t ‘‘do’’ dancing
But the music I can play’.
They said ‘If you’re to play for us,
These steps will be a clue’ –
So, I learnt the one, two, three hop,
Now I’m a dancer too.
At the Market
(J.Clachan 07/08/18) G cap 4
V1.
G C/G
Eggs threepence a dozen.
G C / G
Bread straight from the oven.
.............................................
G C / G
Green brooms for your sweeping.
G C / G
Fresh herbs for your sleeping.
...........................................
G C / G
See our fine leather shoes,
G C / G
We have plenty to choose.
...........................................
G G7 G
Give your sweetheart a bunch of fine flowers.
...........................................
G C G
Umbrellas to keep off the showers.
.........................................
V.2
Blackcurrants, redcurrants.
Some cures for your ailments.
...........................................
All pots are one shilling.
My pastries are filling.
...........................................
Come taste my fine honey,
Good value for money.
...........................................
Sit down and I’ll make your hair pretty.
...........................................
You haven’t the time, what a pity.
Other Fine Things
(J.Clachan 14/09/19) D cap 3
V.1
D Bm G D
Time waits for no man, it simply moves on.
Bm G A
Todays become yesterdays, blink and they’re gone.
Em D G A /A7
So I just make the most of what every day brings,
D Bm G A D
Like sunshine and rainbows and other fine things.
.........................................
V.2
It’s not that I’m fearful of life’s bitter end
But, the greater the years, the more I comprehend
I should just make the most of what every day brings,
Like laughter and friendship and other fine things.
..........................................
V.3
When you wake in the morning and start a new day,
There’s a whole new adventure that’s coming your way.
So just make the most of what every day brings,
Like music and dancing and other fine things.
..........................................
V.4
For the here and the now is where living takes place,
Not the past or the future in life’s hectic race.
We should all make the most of what every day brings,
Like nature and birdsong and other fine things.
..........................................
Repeat V.1
Big Fat Pharmaceuticals
(J. Clachan - 05/2018) Am cap 2
V. 1
Am D Am
Oh doctor, doctor, doctor, who sells you all those pills?
C D
Are you not just a bit concerned, they don’t cure many ills?
Am C D
And, what with all their side effects, they’re making matters worse
Am C / D Am
And the big fat pharmaceuticals are fattening their purse.
.................................
V. 2
Oh doctor, doctor, doctor, we trust you with our health
But even I can see that all our sickness leads to wealth.
You write out more prescriptions for pills of every size
And the big fat pharmaceuticals see profits on the rise.
.................................
V. 3
Oh doctor, doctor, doctor, who funds that training course?
Who bends your ear with honeyed words and claims too often false?
Who sees no benefits at all in the curing of disease?
It’s the big fat pharmaceuticals, let’s bring them to their knees.
.................................
V. 4
Oh doctor, doctor, doctor, your dilemma’s very plain,
Your practice works for common good and not for private gain.
But who is brave enough to question what the rep. man brings
When the big fat pharmaceuticals are pulling all the strings?
.................................
V. 5
Oh doctor, doctor, doctor, it’s time you led the way.
Give good advice to all about the food we eat each day.
Please make the nation healthy, ignore those company lies.
Those big fat pharmaceuticals, let’s cut them down to size.
Our Eventual Fall
(J.Clachan – 20/06/18) A cap 2
V.1
G Am
Throughout the history of man you will find
C D D7
Tyrants, kings and downtrodden masses.
G Am
Each generation collectively blind
Am
To the evils and sadness,
C
Power hungry madness,
D Am
They thought had been left far behind.
D G C/D/G C/D/G
They thought had been left far behind.
.........................................
V.2
Power and greed are human desires of
Tyrants, kings and downtrodden masses.
With simple folk prey to the tricksters and liars
And evils and sadness,
Power hungry madness,
All fanning the flames of the fire.
All fanning the flames of the fire.
.........................................
Middle
D G D
Corruption and arrogance run hand in hand
G D
With the stealing of money, of houses and land
G D A A7
And no human respect; society crumbles like sand.
...........................................
V.3
Never will I desire power to rule
Tyrants, kings and downtrodden masses.
The thing that I dream of is fairness to all
Or evils and sadness,
Power hungry madness,
Will speed our eventual fall.
Will speed our eventual fall.
.........................................
Middle / V.3 repeated
Border Line
(J. Clachan 28/03/2020) Dm cap 2
V.1
Dm F
The lookouts posted on the wall
C Dm
Were few and far between.
F Am
They were told to keep their heads down
C G
To keep from being seen.
F Am
Barbarians were gathering,
C G
Waiting for a sign,
Dm F
At the outposts of the empire
Am Dm
That marked the border line.
...................
V.2
The legionnaires were marching south
To heed the call from Rome.
The last few manning Hadrian’s Wall
Would soon be heading home.
The villages of England
Were running out of time,
There was fear and trepidation
All along the border line.
..................
Chorus
F / C
And we know,
G D
Every empire has to fall.
F / C
They come and go,
G D
There’s no one reason for it all.
F / C
Each ebb and flow,
G D
Always makes the same mistakes.
F Am F G Dm
And, as one passes, so another one awakes.
.................
V.3
The Picts and natives of the north
Grew bolder every year.
They watched the empire crumble
At its northernmost frontier.
In time the Roman legacy
Would wither on the vine,
There’d soon be no defenders
To protect the border line.
..................
Chorus / V.4.
The last boats sailed from England,
Around AD 405,
Leaving few remaining settlers
To keep Roman ways alive.
Their world of art and culture
Was destroyed or undermined
By the waves of invaders
Pouring ‘cross the border line.
..................
Chorus
Parting as Friends
(J.Clachan 31/07/18) D cap 3
V.1
D G D
He strolls round the garden, when the weather is fine,
D A
Noting each flower, just taking his time
D G D
And time is a thing that he cherishes now -
D A G/D
Each day that his age will allow.
.........................................
V.2
He pours out some seed for the birds, on the table,
Takes off dead flowers from the stems where he’s able.
The hum of the bees makes him feel good inside -
D A D
He looks and remembers with pride.
.........................................
Chorus
G D
And he thinks nature’s biding its time
A
But the cycle of life never ends.
D D7 G
Very soon he may hear the bell chime
D A D /G
But he knows they’ll be parting as friends.
G A D G/A/D fill
Yes, he knows they’ll be parting as friends.
.......................................
V.3
He made his own compost for many a year,
Naturally dug with his own sweat and tears,
But an army of helpers living under the soil
Brought teamwork to help with the toil.
.......................................
V.4
With sun loving plants in the open to please
And shade lovers planted just under the trees;
It’s working with nature that brings rich rewards,
Not angrily crossing of swords.
...........................................
Chorus / Fill/ V.5
When a beautiful butterfly floats into sight,
You’ll be sure that he’s never used chemical might
That kills all the insects and not just the pests –
True balance in nature works best.
.........................................
V.6
And maybe humility’s good for the soul,
For he’s long understood he’s just part of the whole,
And he knows in his life he’s done all that he can -
For animals, plant life and man.
...........................................
Chorus x2
The Burning Down
(J.Clachan 15/02/2020) C cap 1
V.1
C
From a glowing ember to a tiny spark,
C
From a smoke-filled room in the midnight dark
F C
Came a frightened call – hark, fire, hark!
G F G Am
And no-one knew there’d be a burning down that night.
F G C
And no-one knew there’d be a burning down that night.
........................................
V.2
From a baker’s shop in Pudding Lane,
Through the tar-pitched roof shot a burning flame.
They never found out just who to blame.
There were none prepared for the burning down that night.
There were none prepared for the burning down that night.
........................................
Chorus
F C
Oh the sparks did crackle and the fire did roar,
G Am
No hiding place for the rich or poor.
F C
Not a hovel or mansion would the flames ignore
G Am F G C
In the burning down that night, in the burning down that night.
.........................................V.3
Now the City of London had men in power
But they didn’t act fast in the burning hour.
As the flames took hold, such a dithering shower
Sealed the city’s fate for the burning down that night.
Sealed the city’s fate for the burning down that night.
........................................V.4
People ran to the Thames where boats were docked,
With their nightwear flowing and no shoes or socks.
Every home catching fire, like a tinderbox.
No belongings saved from the burning down that night.
No belongings saved from the burning down that night.
........................................Chorus/V.5
The church bells rang out a warning peel
But the gods couldn’t save them from the fire’s ordeal.
St. Paul’s caught light to the cries of the devil
Who fanned the flames of the burning down that night.
Who fanned the flames of the burning down that night.
........................................V.6
Five days and nights the fire would blaze,
No rule of law in the smoke and haze.
Then the King’s own men did some buildings raze
And the firebreaks stopped the burning down that night!
And the firebreaks stopped the burning down that night!
........................................Chorus/V.7
There were 70,000 homeless made,
So they rebuilt London through the next decade.
For a new St. Paul’s, Wren’s plans were laid
And a phoenix rose from the burning down that night,
And a phoenix rose from the burning down that night.
Penny for the Guy they Cry
(J.&C. Clachan 05/11/20) G cap 1
V.1
G C G
There are people gathered round the roaring fire
C D G
Watching the ‘guy’ catch light.
G C G
There are fireworks throwing out shooting stars,
C D
It’s a cold November night.
C D
There are chestnuts roasting in an old tin tray,
G C
Potatoes wrapped in foil.
G C G
Sausages sizzle on toasting forks
C D Em C/D/G
And hot soup’s on the boil. x2
.......................
Chorus
D G
For it’s bonfire night and they celebrate,
C D
Though few of them know just why,
D G
A Catholic plot on a Protestant state
C D / D7
That badly went awry..........
G C G
And now upon this fateful date
C D Em C/D/G
‘Penny for the guy’ they cry. x2
...................
V.2
At Westminster Palace, in the undercroft,
Guy Fawkes was standing guard.
Gunpowder barrels, under faggots and coal,
Were disguised in a grand charade.
But the secret leaked out, a search was made,
Fawkes tried to take the blame.
They were just in time to prevent the crime
Of a Parliament put to flame. x2
.......................
Chorus / V.3
We make our ‘guy’ from pa’s old clothes
With newspapers stuffed inside.
Then with gloves and scarf and a frightening mask,
He’s wheeled down the street with pride.
With the money that’s thrown in an old tin can,
We go straight to the firework shop
To buy bangers and crackers and mines and squibs
That’ll make the old folks hop! x2
.......................
Chorus
Clearing the Highlands
(J.Clachan 03/2019) G cap 3
V.1
G C
The wind whistled round those old cottage walls,
G D /D7
It carried a chill in the air.
G C
From far in the distance came echoing calls
G D G
Of anger and fear and despair.
...........................
V.2
With the tramping of feet and crashing of doors,
The crofters were roused from their sleep
And every man Jack was turned out on the moors
With all they could carry and keep.
............................
Chorus
C G
See them all go, as they take to the road,
D
Men, women and children in flight.
C G
All setting off, backs bent with their loads,
D G /C
For they’re clearing the Highlands tonight.
D G
For they’re clearing the Highlands tonight.
............................
Fill GG/CC/GD/GG
............................
V.3
From their beds came the lame, the sick and the old,
As the Laird’s men set buildings alight.
They pocketed trinkets, to later be sold,
Then put the poor people to flight.
............................
V.4
The line of evicted set out for the coast,
They travelled without any sleep,
And never were told, by letter or post,
Their pastures were needed for sheep.
............................
Chorus / Fill GG/CC/GD/GG
............................
V.5
After so many miles, they reached their new home
Where the mountains fell into the sea.
No arable land, they stood there alone,
No rivers, no pasture, no trees.
............................
V.6
As we think of those times, we can’t understand
How man could be so inhumane
But, even today, those who own all the land,
If they could, would they still do the same?
............................
Chorus x2
Post Modern Man
(J. Clachan 05/2018) G cap 4
Intro G/D/C/G/ G/D/G/CG
.................................
V.1
G D C G
When ‘customer loyalty’ brings the worst deals,
D G C/G
It’s no better than fraud – I have spoken.
D C G
When eye-level grills are placed down at your knees,
D G
It’s insanity by the same token.
A D
Fancy taps you can’t turn on or off –
A A7 D / D7
I’ve been thinking enough is enough.
G D C G
As post modern man slithers right down the pan,
D G C/G
We’re all slaves to the beast we’ve awoken.
.................................
Bridge as per intro
.................................
V.2
Toilet seats that close shut with a mind of their own,
A man has to keep watch – I have spoken.
When served with a micro-waved dish in a pub,
You can bet it turns up semi-frozen!
Now women and men are all ‘guys’,
This frustration I cannot disguise.
As post modern man sticks his head in the sand
And just follows the path that’s been chosen.
.................................
Bridge as per intro
.................................
V.3
Every food, every drink, everything that we eat,
Full of sweeteners and such – I have spoken.
Whether at work or play, on the mobile all day,
It’s time that our souls were awoken.
P.P.I. calls each day, without fail,
And it’s sending me right off the rails.
Has post modern man lost the plot or the plan,
Every promise just made to be broken.
.................................
Bridge as per intro
.................................
V.4
When pot holes and road humps break axles and wheels,
It’s a civil disgrace – I have spoken.
Old breadboards and roof slates to serve up your meals,
Why try to mend something not broken?
New trousers with holes in the knees –
Yes, I know I’m not easy to please!
But post modern man is just not who I am,
I’ve been left way behind as a token.
Connection
(J.Clachan 2017) G cap 1
V1.
G Am
When the Great Bear sits high in the mid-winter’s night,
C G
The ground cracked and frozen, the bleakest of sights,
Am
Just follow the stars to a red burning flame,
C D D7
The foot of great Leo brings spring once again.
.....................................
Chorus
G Am
Don’t lose the connection, we’re part of the whole,
C G
We too soon forget what the world used to know.
Am
Respect all the seasons, our roots are in soil,
D C G
Respect all the reasons we sweat and we toil.
.....................................
Chorus / V2.
When Leo starts rising, the migrant birds fly,
They take to the North in the late-winter sky.
When the lion’s at his zenith, then early seeds sow,
As he sinks to the west, see the seeds start to grow.
.....................................
Chorus / V3.
When the summer star triangle climbs into sight,
The daytime grows longer and shorter the night.
On a clear summer’s evening the ‘Milky Way’ shines,
Does anyone see it come ‘lighting up’ time?
.....................................
Chorus / V4
When the flying horse Pegasus rises to view,
Then harvest the crops in the first autumn dew.
Then Orion the ‘Hunter’ brings winter in fast,
It’s a link to the future, as well as the past.
.....................................
Chorus
Postcards from England
(J.Clachan 20/08/2019) G
V.1
G
Have you seen the comic postcards,
D
There on the spinning racks in every seaside town?
D
Just a little slice of England -
D7 G
Double entendres sure to make your mother frown!
G
They brighten up the shop fronts
D
Next to the crabbing lines and the buckets and spades.
D
The folks stop by to read them
D7 G
When they take their evening stroll along the promenade.
......................................
Chorus
C G
If they’re in poor taste, we don’t care -
D G
Cartoon figures in their underwear.
C Em
Words in bubbles, we read them all -
C D G
Taking our time at the comic postcard stall.
.........................................
V.2
There’s a zany cast of characters
From an overbearing matron to a sailor Jack
And the red-faced country farmer
Who finds a courting couple in his big haystack.
There’s the outsize English housewife
With her weedy, henpecked husband always at her side
And the colonel asleep in his deckchair
Who’s just about to get caught by the coming tide.
......................................
Chorus / Break / Chorus
.........................................
V.3
You can find all kinds of postcards -
There are crowd scenes on the beach, wishing you were here,
And local views and attractions
Like the pub next door where you sampled too much beer.
There are cards of your caravan campsite -
The ones you end up buying as a last resort.
But I’d rather buy a comic postcard
And I hope that you agree, ‘cause they’re the ones I bought!
...............................
Chorus x2
Crusader
(John Clachan 03/2018) Am cap 2
V1.
Am C F Am
Around 800 years ago a fever gripped the west,
C F G
A calling to all Christian souls ‘come clear the viper’s nest’.
C F GG
So husbands, fathers, sons and brothers bade their last farewell
C F G Am
And set off for Jerusalem, their destinies to fill.
.............................................
V 2.
Jerusalem was in the hands of men not fit to breathe
And that’s the fact the men of Rome would have them all believe,
‘Take the cross, come bring your swords, your arrows, slings and bows’.
How many to return again? Only heaven knows.
...............................................
Chorus
Am F Am
Crusader! you took the oath and left the field and plough,
C F G Am
Invader! the damning truth is how we see you now.
..............................................
V3.
Crusaders reached the distant land, many thousands strong;
These men of god, outrageously, would not tell right from wrong.
With murder, rape and pillaging forever to their shame,
The peasants took the suffering but no one took the blame.
..............................................
V4.
On both sides of the city walls, they called their gods in vain;
One just sat and watched his flock bring suffering and pain,
The other sat with stony face and hid behind both hands
And neither cared who’s blood was shed as it flowed across the sands.
...............................................
Chorus / V5.
Jerusalem was won by men with a cross upon the shirt
And those still left alive had done the papal dirty work.
But as they journeyed home again, with spoils from all their sin,
What thought for all the high ideals left scattered to the wind.
...............................................
Chorus x2
Primitive Art
(J. Clachan 01/10/19) Dm
V.1
Dm C Am Dm
Here in the half-light, deep in the gloom,
Dm C Dm C Dm
It’s hard to imagine an old ‘living’ room
Dm Am C Dm
With maybe a fire and skins on the floor,
Dm Am Dm C/Dm
Rock face walls, no window or door,
Dm C / Dm
But there’s proof – This was somebody’s home,
Dm C Bb Am
A people with culture, description unknown.
Dm C
Roof and walls – filled with colourful smears,
Dm C Bb Am Dm
The closer you look, the more you will see and the more their life
Am Dm
story appears.
.................................
V.2
They hunted for food and pictured their prey,
Woolly rhinos and mammoths alive in their day.
In the flickering firelight paintings were drawn,
A call to their gods or just to adorn?
Near the cave – coloured pigments were found,
Watery mud stirred and mixed on the ground.
Charcoal sticks – made black wavy lines
And human like figures, so clearly defined; they were so far ahead of their time.
..............................
V.3
Though it’s primitive art, formed in pre-history,
The imagery pierces the soul of me.
The colours of yellow and brown may be mud
But the deepest of reds must surely be blood.
Heaven knows – such intelligence then,
Would they draw just like us given paper and pen?
In my eyes – their achievements are vast,
These wonderful drawings, depicting their lives; it’s truly like watching the past.
England’s Gold
(J.Clachan 24/10/18) G cap 3
V.1
G C G
In the dark of night I lie upon my bed,
D C G /C /G/C
Songs and music...... running through my head.
G C G
That old English music coursing through my blood,
D C G /C G/G
Overwhelms my soul...... like Noah’s flood.
Em D
Now we’ve built a boat to sail upon those waters
G C
And loaded all our songs into the hold -
G D G
English music, England’s gold. (Rpt last line C/G/D/C/G)
........................................
V.2
If you think about our forebears and their songs,
Word of mouth was...... how they passed their music on.
Down generations carried through the years,
They told their tales of hope - and love and tears.
Now in pubs and bars, while drinking ale and porter,
You’ll hear us try to keep those stories told -
English music, England’s gold. (Rpt last line)
.........................................
V.3
Today, our music often goes ignored;
Once our lifeblood....... can it be restored?
While other nations sing their songs with pride,
Why does England...... see her songs denied?
If we could sing to every son and daughter,
We’d bring our legacy in from the cold -
English music, England’s gold. (Rpt last line)
.........................................
V.4
You say they have no relevance today,
That way of life has...... all been blown away.
But if we started learning from the past,
Then England’s future...... might look glorious at last.
There’s a bond that’s just as strong as bricks and mortar;
Our heritage is there for young and old -
English music, England’s gold. (Rpt last line)
Raising the Flag
(J.Clachan 28/05/2019) D cap 2
V.1
D
Old admirals of England, brave entrepreneurs,
D A
Were given full rein by the crown.
D
In the name of the Queen they were told to secure
A D
New lands everywhere they set down.
A D
And she’d turn a blind eye to the piracy game,
A A7
It’s a message they heard loud and clear.
D
Now the gold carrying galleons, in the waters of Spain,
D A D
Could be raided without any fear.
........................................
Chorus
A D
And Elizabeth’s men took to the sea,
A G A
To seek out new lands and to rob for their queen,
D
And they raised many English flags on the soil
D A D G/A/D
And the natives were set to their toil.
....................../V.2
Many years followed on, England’s influence grew
With fingers in everyone’s pies.
The East India Company collected its dues
And its power soon started to rise.
But again a blind eye was turned by the crown
And corruption soon ran through the lands.
Bribery and slavery, people bowed down,
Were ignored as the money changed hands.
........................../Chorus
And the company men took to the wing,
To seek out new lands and to rob for their king,
And they raised many English flags on the soil
And the natives were set to their toil.
............................../ Break / V.3
With millions of subjects now under control,
An empire was built on their backs.
With an English queen at its heart and its soul,
Her name papered over the cracks.
Victoria sanctioned a governing class
That plundered each country at will.
No matter injustices, present or past,
When so many pockets were filled.
............................Chorus x2
And Victoria’s men were quick on the scene,
To seek out new lands and to rob for their queen,
And they raised many Great British flags on the soil
And the natives were set to their toil.
The Eyes of Grace Gladen
(J.Clachan 05/01/19) G
V.1
G C D G C/G/D
She was born a Victorian, in eighteen ninety eight,
G D /G/D
In a world full of change .... she was guided by fate.
Am Em Am Em
With lighting by candles and later by gas,
C D
Just horses and hansoms to carry this lass.
........................................
Chorus
D G D G
So many changes, from crinolines to jeans,
Am C D G /C/G/D
The hazel brown eyes of Grace Gladen had seen.
........................................
V.2
Grace heard the first voices .... on the radiophone
And marvelled when gramophone records were played in her home.
Moving pictures from boxes, at first black and white,
Then colour TVs filled her eyes with delight.
........................................
Chorus
From ‘Chaplin’ to ‘Monroe’, upon the big screen,
The hazel brown eyes of Grace Gladen had seen.
.........................................
V.3
She saw the first motor cars .... drive down the street
And the first powered flight .... an incredible feat.
She watched the great Zepellins, gas filled balloons,
Then ‘round the world flight’ become man on the moon.
........................................
Chorus
A war to end wars, as she moved through her teens,
The hazel brown eyes of Grace Gladen had seen.
..........................................
Break / V. 4
‘Typhoid’ and ‘TB’ .... were killers controlled
But Aids and E. coli .... brought more troubles untold.
With x-rays and blood banks improving health care,
Then ‘open heart surgery’ made the world stare.
........................................
Chorus
The true gift of life ‘penicillin’ brought in,
The hazel brown eyes of Grace Gladen had seen.
..........................................
V. 5
From pantries and larders ..... to freezers indoors,
From corner shop grocers .... to big superstores,
Then great multinationals paying no heed
With always more progress at ever more speed.
........................................
Chorus
A whole generation, caught in the mill stream,
Who saw what the eyes of Grace Gladen had seen.
The Revenue Men
(J. Clachan – 11/05/20) Dm
V.1
Dm C Dm
No moon reflects on the mill pond sea.
F G
Whispered voices in the air.
Dm C Dm
From an anchored ship, a boat pulls free.
A Dm
We wait to do our duty.
Dm C Dm
The row boat beaches on the strand.
F G
Whispered voices in the air.
Dm C Dm
Smugglers’ boots kick up the sand.
A Dm
We rise to do our duty.
...............................
Chorus
F C
They curse the ground we walk on,
Dm A
We’re the hated revenue men.
F C A
We dare not walk alone about the town.
F C
Our lives we’d surely forfeit,
Dm A
On that we could depend,
F C A
With a price upon our heads to bring us down.
A Dm
A price to bring us down.
...............................
V.2
Rum in barrels they offload.
Whispered voices in the air.
To secrete them down an old by-road.
To stop them is our duty.
A look-out sounds the first alarm.
Whispered voices in the air.
Panic breaks the midnight calm.
We fire for it’s our duty.
...............................
Chorus / V.3
The smugglers race along the beach.
Shouting voices in the air.
Hoping to get out of reach.
To catch them is our duty.
Others swim into the sea.
Shouting voices in the air.
Some remain and give their plea.
To arrest them is our duty.
...............................
Chorus
She’ll Never Get Married Again
(J. Clachan 26/05/20) C cap 2
V1.
C G C
I once knew a lady, a delicate sort,
F C
She had a complexion so pale.
F C
Some say that her husbands were accident prone
D G
While some tell a different tale.
C G C
Ten weddings and funerals passed in a blur,
F C
Her bank balance grew in proportion.
F C
The registrar pulled aside number eleven
D G
And whispered ‘ I recommend caution!’.
..................
Chorus 1
F C
For one of her husbands fell down the stairs
G C
And one fell into the cellar.
F C
One fell into the well in the dark,
D G
Such a very unfortunate fella!
F C
One fell from a ladder while mending the roof
G C
And one fell under a train!
F C
Let’s hope now she’s married to number eleven
G C
She’ll never get married again.
.................V.2
In view of such ‘accidents’, you’ll understand,
Insurance was quite hard to come by.
But without compensation, the pecuniary sort,
She’d have felt just a little hard done by.
When number eleven succumbed to her charms,
She made sure he had plenty of money.
When she explained how her husbands had died,
Well he laughed for he thought it quite funny.
..................Chorus 2
That one of her husbands fell down the stairs
And one fell into the cellar.
One fell into the well in the dark,
Such a very unfortunate fella!
One fell from a ladder while mending the roof
And one fell under a train!
But now that she’s married to number eleven
She’ll never get married again.
.................V.3
The first thing he did was to fix the loose floorboard
And tighten the banister rail.
Each rung on the ladder he quickly replaced
And he kept his eyes peeled without fail.
He roughed up the slippery patio stones
And tightened the floorboard once more,
For he knew how these ‘accidents’ seemed to occur,
Ten times he’d been married before!
.................. Chorus 3
One of his wives fell down the stairs
And one slipped up heavily laden.
One fell into the well in the dark,
Such a very unfortunate maiden!
One fell from a ladder, not far from the truth,
And one fell under a train!
And now that he’s married to number eleven
She’ll never get married again.
Eyes Run Dry
(John Clachan 2017) D
V1.
D Bm
I have listened to the news too many times;
G A D
It’s been breaking my heart in two.
Bm
Over so many years, they have played on my fears
G A D
While the pain and the anger grew.
F#m
I have prayed in my sleep, for the people who weep
G A D
And the lives that have all passed by,
Bm
And it’s sad all we hear is the hate greed and fear,
G A D
With no tears for eyes run dry.
...............................................
Refrain
D Bm G A D
Run dry, run dry, no tears for eyes run dry.
D Bm G A D G/A/D
Run dry, run dry, no tears for eyes run dry.
..............................................
V2.
They peddle bad news as the air waves groove...
...a heavy weight on the human soul.
As I learn nothing new, I get angry and blue,
Can I trust in the words I’m told?
Spreading only despair, is it right, is it fair?
Don’t you hear the nation sigh?
For it’s my belief that the power in grief
Brings no tears for eyes run dry.
...............................................
Refrain
..............................................
V3.
So through all this gloom, in my small world room,
Shall I turn the radio down?
Will I close my eyes and my views disguise,
See an ocean of love all drown?
No, I’ll raise my voice, I have made my choice,
Let the air waves hear my cry.
Balance hope with fear, let it bring some tears...
...of joy to eyes run dry.
...............................................
Refrain
..............................................
Balance hope with fear, let it bring some tears...
...of joy to eyes run dry.
Father’s Footsteps
(J. & C. Clachan – 12/01/21) C
V.1
C
The smith beats out the horse shoes,
F G C
He keeps a steady time.
C
His young son watching the hammer fall
Dm G
Learns the rhythms and the rhyme.
C
The joiner glues the wood joints,
Dm G
And his son sits closely by.
C
He’s learning through experience
F G C
And this knowledge he’ll apply.
...............................Chorus
C
They’ll be following fathers’ footsteps,
F G C
Learning their fathers’ trades,
C
Age old custom ‘hand-me-downs’,
Dm G
Planned from birth, prove their worth.
C
They’ll be following fathers’ footsteps
Dm G
But traditions fade away
C
And these fathers’ sons might be the ones
F G Am F/G/C
Who let the past decay. x2
...............................V.2
Toolmakers and carpenters
And tradesmen in the past,
Kept tradition in the family
And followed their fathers’ paths.
Stonemasons and bookkeepers
Have all been protégés,
Many young musicians learnt their skills
Watching their fathers play.
...............................Chorus
They’ll be following fathers’ footsteps,
Learning their fathers’ trades,
Age old custom ‘hand-me-downs’,
Planned from birth, prove their worth.
They’ll be following fathers’ footsteps
But traditions fade away
And these fathers’ sons might be the ones
Who let the past decay. x2
...............................V.3
Now the world outside the window
Beckons one and all.
So many opportunities,
So many Sirens call
And the wealth of life’s experience,
That might have seen them through,
Is cast aside impatiently
In search of something new.
...............................Chorus
No more following fathers’ footsteps,
Learning their fathers’ trades,
Though age old custom ‘hand me downs’,
Planned from birth, proved their worth.
No more following fathers’ footsteps,
As traditions fade away,
Many fathers’ sons become the ones
Who let the past decay. x2
The Shepherd Boy and the Gypsy
J.Clachan 06/08/18) D cap 3
V.1
D
He’d followed his father’s footsteps,
C G D
Like many had done before.
D
He knew every path that crossed the hills
C
And the ancient shepherds’ lore.
D
Knew the sheep and where to find them,
A
With his dog close by his side,
D
But when he talked to the travelling gypsy,
C G D
Well it changed him deep inside.
.........................................
V.2
He said ‘Listen my friend, I can tell you true,
I’ll be gone at the break of day.
No-one tells me where to go
And no-one makes me stay.
I take my pleasures as I choose
And when I take my leave from you,
I’ll be only a travelling gypsy
But my own man through and through’.
.........................................
V.3
He told his tales as a ne’er-do-well,
With colour and verve and flair;
The young lad’s life being black and white,
He was tempted fair and square.
The gypsy played a wild, wild tune
And sang such a joyful song.
He said ‘I’ll show you the travelling life my friend
And I bid you follow on’.
...........................................
V.4
And the gypsy talked of maidens
With long, black, flowing hair,
Of feasting and much revelry
At every village fair.
So, with 5 gold pieces in his purse
And his heart filled with delight,
The shepherd he packed his simple things
And they left in the morning light.
...........................................
V.5
But in every town that they passed through,
No welcome could be found.
Each maiden’s door was bolted shut
And they slept on the cold, cold ground.
Every alehouse barred them out
Till the shepherd he did repent
And the travelling gypsy went his way
When the gold had all been spent.
...........................................
V.6
After so many miles of travelling,
He returned to his native soil.
Back to his dog and his sheep and hills
And the weary life of toil.
But at night he remembers the gypsy’s words
And dreams of the tales he told
And, though not a single word was true,
It was wondrous to behold.
Folk Heroes of Old
(J. & C. Clachan – 06/03/21) G cap 5
V.1
G C D G
Tales were told with relish of our folk heroes of old.
G C D G
Handed down through centuries, those stories still get told
G C D G
But, like a game of whispers, the legends grew and grew
G C D G
And now no-one can really tell what’s false and what is true!
...............................
V.2
Near the town of Nottingham, a band of men in green
Lived deep in Sherwood Forest to keep from being seen.
According to the Sheriff they were outlaws, rogues and thieves
But if you heed the legend this is not what you’d believe.
...............................
Chorus
D C G
They stole from the rich and gave back to the poor -
D C D / D7
I don’t think many crooks and thieves do that any more
G C D G
And I can’t see how this policy put food upon the table.
G C D G
As stories go, these folk heroes are just the stuff of fable.
..............................
V.3
Dick Turpin was a highwayman, his horse was called Black Bess.
‘Stand and deliver’ was the mode of his address.
He only stole from rich men, which comes as no surprise,
As taking gold from beggars is no paying enterprise!
...............................
Chorus / V.4
Tales were told with relish of our folk heroes of old.
Handed down through centuries, those stories still get told
But these altruistic characters are feted out of scale.
In reality our heroes would get caught and thrown in jail!
...............................
Chorus
Sixth Century BC
(J.&C. Clachan 29/08/20) Bb
V.1
Bb
The wind of change that blew from the East
D#
Fanned the sparks and turned them to a flame.
D# Bb
A hunger for new learning was unleashed.
F D#
What opened human minds? What challenged human kind?
F D# Bb
Defining times, sixth century BC.
.......................
V.2
With an awareness of their place and of their time,
They started framing questions never asked.
Seeking explanations, forever to refine,
Rationale and cause, searching without pause.
Defining times, sixth century BC.
.......................
Chorus
D# Bb
Gautama Buddha, Confucius, Mahavira,
F Bb
Zoroaster, Lao-Tze, Anaximander.
D# Bb
Through India and China, ancient Greece and Persia,
F
A rising tide that lifted high and shattered their inertia.
D# Bb
Tell me how...... this all came to be?
F D# Bb
Defining times, sixth century BC.
.......................
V.3
New schools of thought we call philosophy
Found answers to the questions of the mind.
They left their mark upon our history,
Transforming us completely, our species and our kind.
Defining times, sixth century BC.
.......................
Chorus / V.4
The wind of change that blew from the East
Still guides how we perceive our mortal lives.
Be we beggar, merchant, nobleman or priest,
There’s now a sure foundation, bequeathed to every nation.
Defining times, sixth century BC.
Games in the Street
(J.Clachan 14/06/2019) C cap 5
V.1
C Am Dm G
There’s a knock on the door as I finish my tea,
C Am Dm / G
Then I’m out on the streets with my mates -
G7
Though we don’t wander far from our gates.
.........................................
V.2
With a piece of old chalk we draw out some squares
And pick up a few ‘rolling’ stones -
Then it’s ‘Hopscotch’ outside of our homes.
.........................................
Chorus
C Em
Games in the street, that’s all we knew
F G C
Though I never felt we were deprived.
C Em
‘Tin Can Tommy’ and ‘Lolly Sticks’ too,
F G Am Dm/G/C
We were having the time of our lives. x2
.........................................
V.3
Conkers in autumn, collected with care,
Soaked in vinegar, a seasonal thing -
Then skewered and strung up with string.
.........................................
V.4
I remember a champion ‘Cheeser’ of old
That left other conkers for dead -
I slept with it each night in bed!
.........................................
Chorus / V.5
‘Lardy up’ comes the call as the marbles appear,
We scratch a small hole in the ground
And the other kids soon gather round.
.........................................
V.6
With ‘one-ers’ and ‘two-ers’ and ‘three-ers’ and ‘fours’,
Those colourful pieces of glass -
We’d watch them all fly through the grass.
.........................................
Chorus / Break / Chorus / V.7
‘Jack Stones’ you would catch on the back of your hand,
‘British Bulldog’ was something more rough -
Till dad shouts ‘enough is enough’.
.........................................
V.8
But how the times change, those days are long gone,
The kids today keep their hands clean
And their eyes are now glued to a screen.
.........................................
Chorus
Soldiers of the Dissolution
(J. Clachan - 23/01/20) Dm cap 1
V.1
Dm C Am
It’s early in the morning and they hear the marching feet upon
Am
the ground.
C Am
The monks of Benedictus leave their cots and at the altar
Dm
gather round.
F G
They bend upon their knees and, as the rap comes on the
A
door, they start to sing
Dm Bb C
While the soldiers of The Dissolution carry out the orders of
Dm
the king.
.................................
V.2
The monasteries of England are torn apart and falling one by one.
For the newly self-appointed head of church these deeds are being done.
While the abbot and his ‘brothers of the faith’ pray to a higher lord,
The soldiers of The Dissolution break the fibres of a nation’s cord.
....................................
Chorus
Dm F G Dm
What now, for how will they survive?
Dm F G Dm /C / Am
What now, can keep their faith alive?
.................................
V.3
In truth the Benedictine way was flawed and needed great reform
But it was sad to see this tiny band of men turned out on the cloister lawn.
Their way of life destroyed, these broken souls were left with nothing but despair
While the soldiers of The Dissolution carried out their work without a care.
....................................
Chorus
.................................
V.4
I stand among the ruins of the Abbey, in a sanctuary of calm,
But here among the rubbled walls I sense the residue of old alarm
From the time when ancient ways were ripped apart, and an edifice pulled down,
And the soldiers of The Dissolution carried out the orders of the crown. (Repeat last line)