Dance With the Wind – John Neville
Album Lyrics
1. Blue Moon Rising
2. Cotton Wool on Blue
3. Handsome Stranger
4. Goodbye Waltz
5. Wishing Our Lives Away
6. Long Time Now
7. Dance With The Wind
8. Gone For A Day
9. There’s A Chance
10. Bright New Day
11. The Wobbling Man
BLUE MOON RISING
There’s a blue moon rising
Rising up, into that dusky night
When that blue moon is sinking
I’ll be waiting in the early morning light
I’ll be thinking of you only
To welcome you out of the cold, cold night
There’s a blue moon rising
Rising up, into that dusky night
But when that blue moon is sinking
I’ll be waiting in the early morning light
There’s a tender heart beating
Your caring ways will never prove untrue
And if that darkness befalls us
I’ll take your hand and we will make it through
I’m drawn to your loving only
Hope that I’m your one and only too
There’s a blue moon rising
Rising up, into that dusky night
But when that blue moon is sinking
I’ll be waiting in the early morning light
To your own self be truthful
I may never find a love more kind
Wield your will when you have to
And I will share the sorrow that you find
Follow all those dreams you search for
And I, will follow right behind
There’s a blue moon rising
Rising up, into that dusky night
But when that blue moon is sinking
I’ll be waiting in the early morning light
But when that blue moon is sinking
I’ll be waiting in the early morning light
COTTON WOOL ON BLUE
Night sends the morning out, cotton wool on blue
With the love you put to paper on my bed
You’ve made your decision and you know I wish you well
Still I want no one but you
So I think I’ll never play
Out those dreams of yesterday
As I send you off today
So many miles away
As evening woo’s the night back, my thoughts with you will sleep
Forever in the silence and the calm
Now we must share the distance, as we have shared the past
With photographs to keep
So I think I’ll never play
Out those dreams of yesterday
As I send you off today
So many miles away
Time they say’s a healer, and the healings taking time
But memories they’re always worth the pain
And tears they fall much softer, when hope lives on
A day that our paths entwine
So I think I’ll never play
Out those dreams of yesterday
As I send you off today
So many miles away
And I know I’ll never play
Out those dreams of yesterday
So I’ll send you off today
So many miles away
HANDSOME STRANGER *
Well I stood at the window on that morning
I looked out at the misty covered sea
You showed your mood, it being well past the dawning
The sun should have been rising just like me
Upon the shore I saw a great commotion
And wondered what the tragic news would be
On this fine day, some more souls you had taken
You took them just to keep you company
There are times when you’re a wondrous source of giving
There are times when you’re a taker from the deep
Many men have fallen in love with you
But you only love the ones that you can keep
Many’s a boat was built to try and tame you
Into your arms and safely on their way
Until you showed your anger without warning
You took them down, forever more to stay
Sometimes you felt like doing something different
You pushed them ‘round, yes with them you would play
On getting bored you lent them to your neighbours
A sorry sight on jagged rocks they lay
There are times when you’re a wondrous source of giving
There are times when you’re a taker from the deep
Many men have fallen in love with you
But you only love the ones that you can keep
Let’s not forget the good times that you gave us
For I have seen, many’s a happy child
Dance along the edges of your doorway
You ran up to caress them, and you smiled
So we must learn not to take you for granted
Each story, in our memory is filed
And when we are near you must remember
That you’re the handsome stranger that has beguiled
There are times when you’re a wondrous source of giving
There are times when you’re a taker from the deep
Many men have fallen in love with you
But you only love the one that you can keep
You only love the one that you can keep
But you only love the one that you can keep
* The opening verse of this song was influenced by the Fethard-on-Sea boating tragedy on the 28 July 2002, where four men and a teenage boy lost their lives to the power of the sea.
GOODBYE WALTZ
When I was a child I remember
In our window was always a light
And on a dark winter’s night if you stood outside
It was always burning bright
To my mother I asked why ‘twas burning
Well she said as she pulled me near
She said it’s burning bright into that night
Just to let you know that I’m here
There’s a light that shines in the window
For everyone to see
Yes it’s burning bright into that night
Just to bring you safe to me
Now the hourglass that sits on the mantle
Has been many times turned since back then
So it’s time to be bold and set off from the fold
But remember to come back again
She said son if you take to the travelling
And if ever you’re lost and alone
There’s a big warm bed to rest your head
So why don’t you come home
Where the light always shines in the window
For everyone to see
Yes it’s burning bright into that night
Just to bring you safe to me
To my own child I now tell this story
And how it was given to me
Yes I too keep a light and it’s burning bright
For everyone to see
When the day comes to make your own journey
Yes there’s one thing that I’d like you to do
That’s return to the place with that familiar face
And we’ll give all our loving to you
Where the light always shines in the window
For everyone to see
Yes it’s burning bright into that night
Just to bring you safe to me
Where the light always shines in the window
For everyone to see
Yes it’s burning bright into that night
Just to bring you safe to me
Yes it’s burning bright into the night
Just to bring you safe to me
WISHING OUR LIVES AWAY
Oh the times we had were good
Like I always knew they would
Now it’s time to spread your wings, don’t be afraid
It’s so hard to say goodbye
But you know we have to try
Don’t want to hold you back and my bed’s already made
‘Cause we’re just wishing our lives away
I’m going to set you free today
I’m going to let you go
‘Cause only you and I know
We’ve been wishing our lives away
I was hoping you might find
Someone loving, caring, kind
So you don’t feel the loneliness you hide
Someone whose loving you can share
And who’ll see it you’ll not care
Someone that every night you can lie beside
‘Cause we’re just wishing our lives away
I’m going to set you free today
I’m going to let you go
‘Cause only you and I know
We’ve been wishing our lives away
It’s so hard to say goodbye
But you know we have to try
Don’t want to hold you back and my bed’s already made
‘Cause we’re just wishing our lives away
I’m going to set you free today
I’m going to let you go
‘Cause only you and I know
We’ve been wishing our lives away
Yeah we’ve been wishing our lives away
I’m going to set you free today
I’m going to let you go
‘Cause only you and I know
We’ve been wishing our lives away
Yeah we’ve been wishing our lives away
Yeah we’ve been wishing our lives away
LONG TIME NOW
I’ve been lonely, sad and blue
I’ve been searching for a love that’s true
And when I find her my burning flame
Hope that she might feel the same
I’ve been waiting for a long time now
For someone to love me and to show me how
I’ve been waiting for a long time, long time now
Come the night time, come the day
When I at last hear someone say
I’ve been lonely, sad and blue
A long time searching, for someone like you
I’ve been waiting for a long time now
Someone to love me and to show me how
I’ve been waiting for a long time, long time now
I’ve been waiting for a long time now
Someone to love me and to show me how
I’ve been waiting for a long time, long time now
DANCE WITH THE WIND *
Left my own place behind
For a new life to find
To no one said goodbye
So afraid I would cry
To my mountains, my sea and my shore
I may see you no more
To this place then I came
New York city the name
From my own little town
Tried to put some roots down
Buildings like trees reaching out for the sun
Higher and higher every one
I took to walking the steel
Can you hear the click from my heel
I’m thirty floors high, almost touching the sky
I’ve been so many years here alone
I’m thinking of home
Oh each night I go to sleep
From the wind please Lord me keep
Never took me a wife
Such a dangerous life
Have her living in fear
Always waiting to hear
The news coming down from a friend
That I danced with the wind
Many loose the thrill
The very courage and will
That it takes for to climb
Where life’s not worth a dime
Many men’s fear in the end
Is to dance with the wind
I’ve been walking the steel
Can you hear the click from my heel
I’m forty floors high
Almost touching the sky
I’ve been so many years here alone
I’m thinking of home
Oh each night I go to sleep
From the wind please Lord me keep
If ever there’s a chance
With the wild winds I dance
A letter of wishes will state
And I’d appreciate
Don’t leave me to lie here alone
Please carry me home
Now I’ve had my fill
Of the steel and it’s chill
My time’s up it seems
No more walking those beams
No more will I be alone
I’m heading on home
No more walking the steel
Or hear the click from my heel
To my mountains on high underneath my own sky
To my mountains, my sea and my shore, I will see you once more
To my mountains, my sea and my shore, I will see you once more
* Dance with the Wind was the term used in fear of falling by the immigrant steel erectors, riveters and holder-uppers who built the central structure of the skyscrapers on the New York skyline around the turn of the 20th century.
GONE FOR A DAY
Home flies the Albatross
He doesn’t feel the loss I do
Oh without you
Albatross I wish that I were you
He flies the long way home
He never feels alone like I do
Oh without you
Albatross, I wish that I were you
You’re only gone for a day
But tomorrow seems so far away
Look at the graceful swan
She will love only one it’s true
Like I love you
Oh graceful swan I wish that I were you
She sleeps head under wing
A love song now, I will sing for you
Oh just for you
Sleeping swan I wish that I were you
You’re only gone for a day
But tomorrow seems so far away
Home flies the Albatross
He doesn’t feel the loss I do
Oh without you
Albatross I wish that I were you
Oh Albatross I wish that I were you
Oh Albatross I wish that I were you
THERE’S A CHANCE
Where has all the time gone
Now we march to a different beat
We look and say hello
In the hallway as we meet
We hardly pass a word
But pretend we keep in touch
So afraid that if we do
Regret we’ll say too much
There’s a chance
That we might find our time again
There’s a chance
But I really don’t know where or when
There’s a chance
It’ll be just like a dream come true
Oh There’s a chance I’ll always be loving you
Try to remember
What if takes to make you smile
Put the effort in
But it’s failing all the while
We’re in a window on display
Perfect like a brand new pin
We sit together and live the lie
For those that are looking in
There’s a chance
That we might find our time again
There’s a chance
But I really don’t know where or when
There’s a chance
It’ll be just like a dream come true
Oh There’s a chance I’ll always be loving you
See you in a photograph
Hand in hand we made our way
Will we ever be here again
Like on that windy day
Try to imagine
If I could not hear your voice
But with all that’s said and done
You’d still be my first choice
There’s a chance
That we might find our time again
There’s a chance
But I really don’t know where or when
There’s a chance
It’ll be just like a dream come true
Oh There’s a chance I’ll always be loving you
There’s a chance I’ll always be loving you
There’s a chance I’ll always be loving you
BRIGHT NEW DAY *
Something that you said
Heard voices in your head
Is it coming from the past
Were the rules too hard and fast
Lost without a trace
Lonely empty place
Look before you leap
It’s too early now for sleep
Go and find the answers
They’re somewhere to be found
Let me hear a joyous happy sound
You have cried enough now
It’s time to make your way
Head on out into a bright new day, bright new day
Emasculated frown
It wants to bring you down
So selfish and so blind
Go let it all behind
Spread your wings and fly
Set your spirit free
When you take to the sky
Please return to me
Go and find the answers
They’re somewhere to be found
Let me hear a joyous happy sound
You have cried enough now
It’s time to make your way
Head on out into a bright new day, bright new day
Bright new day
* This song is dedicated to all the volunteers, in particular those who supply the listening service for The Samaritans.
THE WOBBLING MAN
I laughed unknowingly as a boy
The wobbling man was like a toy
You’d wind him up and let him go
And watch him wobble to and fro
But soon I learned to laugh no more
When I’d hear the key turn in the door
The silence came no one would talk
Around on eggshells we would walk
Momma Momma tell me why
The dark clouds always fill our sky
While other children laugh and play
I find a corner and hide away
Children gather it’s time to eat
Times are tough, we don’t have meat
But hidden upstairs in and old top coat
Is a pocket filled with ten pound notes
Search the pockets, check them deep
We pray the Lord our souls to keep
For taking the money when we can
From the angry, sleeping, wobbling man
Oh Momma Momma please don’t lie
Sometimes I wish that he would die
Don’t make excuses for him to me
I’m older now and I can see
A woman bends to stoke the fire
The flames were once like her desire
She held for the man who shared her dreams
Who turned out to be cold and mean
I see the pain, hear the abuse
That comes from alcohol misuse
From the neighbour’s eyes the pity came
We walked with our heads hung in shame
Oh Momma Momma please don’t cry
I’ll wipe a salt tear from your eye
Come the whispered words of a little boy
Some day you’ll find your house of joy
The years slip by, but take their toll
They’ve stolen this woman’s heart and soul
I think as her life begins to fade
The house of joy she’s finally made
As a cold October morn begins
An old man cries for his past sins
To his lips a picture I see him press
Of a dancing woman in a wedding dress
Oh Momma Momma I can’t but cry
I wipe a salt tear from my eye
Your time has come, you’ve reached your peace
From your troubled world you’ve been released.
All songs written by John Neville ©℗ IMRO 2017
Cotton Wool On Blue by John Neville/Martin Leahy ©℗ IMRO 2017