Bird Who Sings Freedom - Debut Album Release - July 28th 2017
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The Bird Who Sings Freedom is the debut album by Georgia Lewis, who has been hailed as the best voice to emerge from the English folk scene in recent years.
Well-worn traditional songs sit alongside two originals, an A.E. Housman poem and, opening the album, a setting of the words of Maya Angelou. Throughout, Georgia seeks timeless themes in old words. Stories of love, loss, conflict and betrayal. Produced by Lewis with Josh Clark (Kate Rusby's Life In A Paper Boat), the album features Evan Carson (bodhrán) and Tom Sweeney (bass) alongside longtime bandmates Felix Miller (guitar) and Rowan Piggott (fiddle). |
The Bird Who Sings Freedom is a glorious cocktail of modern folk influences, a potent statement of intent and a first glimpse at a burgeoning talent who looks set to put her stamp on English folk music.
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1. The Bird Who Sings Freedom
2. Until One Day 3. Gypsies 4. Stonecutter Boy 5. True Lover 6. Unfortunate Lass 7. Wife of Usher’s Well 8. Must I Be Bound 9. Trees They Do Grow High 10. A Royal Game 11. Lady Diamond Tracks
All tracks are trad except: Track 1: words Dr. Maya Angelou, tune Jerry Jordan Track 2: Georgia Lewis Track 5: Lyrics: AE Housman and G.Lewis, music G.Lewis Track 10: Rowan Piggott |
Musicians
Georgia Lewis Vocals, Whistle, Accordion, shruti box Felix Miller Guitar Rowan Piggott 5-string Fiddle, Piano Tom Sweeney Double Bass Evan Carson Bodhran, Percussion Production Recorded in The Kitchen, at The Courtyards, Wiltshire by Georgia Lewis, Josh Clark. Produced by Georgia Lewis and Josh Clark Mixed by Get Real Audio Mastered by Stardelta Audio Mastering Photography by Joe Hulbert and Woj Okuszko Design Layout by Rowan Piggott © & ℗ Georgia Lewis (RootBeat Records) www.rootbeatrecords.com www.georgialewis.co.uk |
Bird Who Sings Freedom - Lyrics
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01. The Bird Who Sings Freedom ---------------------------------------- See poem ‘Caged Bird’ by Maya Angelou. ---------------------------------------- 02. Until One Day ---------------------------------------- Dark is the day that took you away Swallowed by storms and flashes of grey Rain sodden roads, leave marks in my skin Watching you leave now empty within A light in my window to guide you at night A sign of my sorrow, a plea for my plight So Look to the shore, or the light on the hill The birds in the harbour, who wait for you still You’ll see through the years, I’ll wait and I’ll sing Until the day that you will Bring me my love, bring me my love Until then, that day that I find you I’ll keep watch where the sky meets the sea Until then my love I’ll dream of you Until then my heart cannot be free Dark are these days, they roll into one My heart is still burning, in the heat of the sun My white knuckles covered, by black earth and clay My burdens grow heavy, with each passing day. Six moons have passed and still I look on Each moment is counted as soon as it's gone The cuckoo is silent, and brings me no song While birds in the harbour, sing all the day long Pre-chorus Chorus Stars fill the night sky, my eyes fill with tears I feel you’re alive, after all of these years The light slowly fades, my time nearly gone To know love as this, you can only have won Pre-chorus Chorus ---------------------------------------- 03. Gypsies ---------------------------------------- There was seven yellow gypsies and all in a row None of them lame nor lazy-O And they sang so sweet and so complete They stole the heart of a Lady-O It was late that night when the lord came home Inquiring for his lady-o And answer the servants gave to him She’s gone away with the seven yellow gyspys-o Then sadle my bonny black horse The white ones ne’r so speedy-o That I made ride on a long summer night In search of my false lady-o So he rode west and he rode best He rode through woods and corpses too Until he came to an open field And there he saw his lady-o Would you give up your house and land Would you give up your baby-o Would you give your new wedded lord To run away with the seven yellow gyspys-o Well what care I for my house and land What care for my baby-o Sure I wouldn't give a kiss of the gypsy laddie's lips Not for all Lord Cashill's money-O ---------------------------------------- 04. Stonecutter Boy ---------------------------------------- It's of a brisk stonecutter boy returning home from work, When a pretty girl smiled in his face. He says, “My dearest dear, If you rest a moment here, I'll tell you what I dreamed about last night, last night, Oh I'll tell you what I dreamed about last night.” T’was under an oak they sat themselves down. That little young girl she gave a little scream. And what they did I'll miss, And I'll leave you all to guess. But I swear she got the content of his dream, of his dream, I swear she got the content of his dream. Well, that young girl, she then arose and she smoothed down her clothes. So nimbly she looked upon the plain. She said, “My dearest sweet, Oh the next time that we meet, I hope you tell me that dream over again, over again, Oh I hope you tell me that dream over again.” Well that same stonecutter boy returning home from work, When another girl smiles in his face. He says, “My dearest dear, If you rest a moment here, I'll tell you what I dreamed about last night, last night, Oh I'll tell you, I'll tell you, I'll tell you, I'll tell you I'll tell you what I dreamed last night.” ---------------------------------------- 05. True Lover ---------------------------------------- The lad came to her door at night, When lovers crown their vows, And whispered soft into the night Beneath the shadow of the bending boughs. "I shall not vex you, with my face Henceforth, my love, for aye So take me in your arms awhile Before the east is grey." "And I from hence away am past I shall not find, a bride, And you shall be, the first and last I ever lay beside." She heard and went and knew not why; Her heart to his she gave Light was the air beneath the sky But dark under the shade. "Oh do you breathe, lad, that your breast Seems not to, rise and fall, And here upon my bosom prest There beats no heart at all?" They are two lovers waiting They are true lovers lost Touched in silent wonder Never to be the same They are two hearts tangled Moments from a flame Touched in silent wonder They can never be the same "Oh loud, my girl, it used to knock, You should have felt it then; But since for you I stopped the clock It never will go again." "Oh lad, what is it, lad, that drips Wet from your neck on mine? And what is it falling on my lips, My lad, that tastes of brine?" "Oh like enough 'tis blood, my dear, When the knife it has slit My throat across from ear to ear 'Twill bleed because of it." Under the stars the air was light But dark below the boughs, And still the air of the speechless night, When lovers crown their vows. "I shall not vex you with my face Henceforth, my love, for I must not stay So take me in your arms a while Before the east is grey." Before the east is grey." Before the east is grey." Before the east is grey." They are two lovers waiting They are true lovers lost Touched in silent wonder Never to be the same They are two hearts tangled Moments from a flame Touched in silent wonder They can never be the same They are two lovers waiting They are true lovers lost Touched in silent wonder Never to be the same ---------------------------------------- 06. Unfortunate Lass ---------------------------------------- As I was a walking one fine summers morning, One fine summers morning all early in May, Who should I spy but my own dearest daughter All wrapped up in flannel on a hot summers day Oh mother of mother come sit you down by me, Come sit you down by me and pity my case It’s of a young officer lately deserted me See how he’s left me in shame and disgrace Oh daughter oh daughter why hadn’t you told me Why hadn’t you told me, we’d have took in time I might have got salts and pills of white mercury Now you’re a young girl cut down in your prime Doctor of doctor come wash up your bottles Come wash up your bottles and wipe them quite dry My body is aching my poor heart is breaking And I in some deep solemn fashion must lie Have six jolly fellows to carry my coffin Have six pretty fair maids to carry my pall Give each pretty fair maid a glass of brown ale saying There goes the bones of a true hearted girl Come rattle your drums, come play your fifes merrily Merrily play and the dead march along And over my coffin throw handfuls of laurel saying There goes the bones of a true hearted girl |
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07. Wife of Usher’s Well ---------------------------------------- There lived a wife at Usher's Well, A wealthy wife was she; She had three stout and stalwart sons, She sent them out to sea. They hadn’t been a week from her, A week but barely three When word came to the aged wife Her sons she’d never see "I wish the wind may never cease Nor fish swim in the flood Till my three sons come home to me, In earthly flesh and blood." And there about the Michaelmas, When nights were long and dark, The aging wife's three sons came home, But Death had made his mark. "Build up the fire my girl, Bring water from the well; For all my house shall feast tonight Since my three sons are well." So she has laid the table high With wholesome bread and wine, “Come eat and drink, my darling babes, Come eat and drink of mine.” “We must not eat your bread mama Nor can we drink your wine, For we have done a deal with Death, So we three must decline. So she has made the bed for them, And spread the milk-white sheets. She's laid it all with cloth of gold To see if they can sleep. But up then crew the proud red cock, And up then crew the gray; The eldest to the youngest said, 'Tis time we were away. "Fare you well, my mother dear! Farewell to barn and byre! And fare you well, the bonny girl That kindles mama’s fire!" “The grass is green about our heads The clay is at our feet, We’re shrouded in our earthy beds And Death we cannot cheat.” The woman cursed the hand of death, She cursed the grass and clay, But most of all she cursed the sea That took her sons away. The wife she was so struck with grief She made her way outside And threw herself into the ground To cross to t’other side So listen all you gentle folk, And heed the tolling bell, Which knells at this late hour for, The wife at Usher's Well So listen all you gentle folk, And heed the tolling bell, Which knells at this late hour for, The wife at Usher's Well ---------------------------------------- 08. Must I Be Bound ---------------------------------------- Must I be bound while you go free Must I love one who cannot love me Why do I act such a childish part To follow a lad who will break my heart The first thing that my love gave to me It was a cap well lined with led And the longer that I wore that cap Oh the heavier it grew upon my head And next he gave me a mantle to wear Lined with sorrow and stitched with care The drink he gave me was bitter gal And the blows he served me were worst than all The third thing that my love gave to me It was a belt with colours three The first was shame the next was sorrow And last of all sad misery But I will climb up a higher tree And I will find a richer nest I’ll climb down and will not fall And marry a lad I will love with all ---------------------------------------- 09. Trees They Do Grow High ---------------------------------------- Oh the trees they do grow high, And the leaves they do grow green, And it’s many's the cold winter's night, You and I my love have seen. It’s on a cold winter's night, You and I my love have been. Oh my bonny boy is young but he's growing, Growing, growing, My bonny boy is young, but he's growing "Oh father, dear father, you've done to me much harm, For to go and get me married to one who is so young. For he is only sixteen years old and I am twenty-one, Oh my bonny boy is young but he's growing, Growing, growing, my bonny boy is young but he's growing." "Oh daughter, dear daughter, I'll tell you what I'll do, I'll send your love to college for another year or two. And all around his college cap I'll tie a ribbon blue, For to let the ladies know that he's married, Married, married, To let the ladies know that he's married." At the age of sixteen he was a married man, And at the age of seventeen the father to a son, And at the age of eighteen the grass grew over him. Cruel death soon put an end to his growing, Growing, growing, Cruel death soon put an end to his growing. And now my love is dead and in his grave doth lie, But he has left his wealth for me so I’ll get by and by I'll sit here and mourn his death until the day I die And I'll watch all over our child while he's growing, Growing, growing, I'll watch all over our child while he's growing, He's growing, growing, my bonny boy is young, but he's growing. ---------------------------------------- 10. A Royal Game ---------------------------------------- A restless king is sat all alone, He fears that he may lose his throne, For from afar he can see a host Of darkened soldiers come from the coast. As they approached his castle then They met a rank of brave footmen Whose duty bound them to remain Though fate would play their lives in vain. The battle rages for e’er an hour The king he hides in his ivory tower And all the clergy say their creed As every horseman mounts his steed. When night & fog obscured them all, They sured the gate and the old Stonewall, In fear and trembling there laid low Without an Ally to slay their foe. The king sat wooden in his keep As if in some enchanted sleep When he emerged to survey the scene He saw them take his beloved queen. His men lay strewn ‘cross the battlefield And all alone now, our king must yield As circling rooks foretold his fate He heard his foe call aloud “Checkmate!” ---------------------------------------- 11. Lady Diamond ---------------------------------------- There was a king, a glorious king, a king of noble fame, And he had daughters only one, Lady Diamond was her name. She had a boy, a kitchen boy, a boy of muckle scorn. But she loved him deep, she loved him high as the grass grows through the corn. When twenty weeks were gone and past, it came upon that morn Her petticoats grew short before and a child would soon be born. The king came to his daughter’s bedside, pulled back the curtains long. “What aileth thee, my Diamond dear, I fear you've gotten wrong.” “Oh, if I have, despise me not, for he is all my joy. I’ll forsake both dukes and earls and marry my kitchen boy.” “Oh, bring to me my merry men all, by thirty and by three. And bring to me this kitchen boy, we'll murder him secretly.” Not a sound into the hall and never a word was said Until they had him safe and sure between two feather beds. “They've torn his heart from out of his breast, put it in a cup of gold, They’ve taken it to the fair lady, who’d been so stout and bold.” She took the cup from out of their hands, she set it at her bed, She washed it with her flowing tears; next morning she was dead. “Oh bring to me my merry men all, that I give both meat and wage, Could you not have stay my cruel hand when I was in a rage? “For gone is all my heart's delight and gone is all my joy, For my own dear Diamond, she is dead, likewise my kitchen boy.” |