From the Swallows album Witching & Divining (2012)
Long Long Shadow
Hold head up high Give praise to the sky Toil be done We wait for the sun We work under long, long shadow Hope for the light Turn back the night Hope for the light Turn back the night We sleep under long, long shadow Sing that sweet song Of a valley wandered down Sing that sweet song Of a meadow in the sun We dream under long, long shadow We live under long, long shadow ©2012 CrandallThe Winnowing
Spread a perch of rope Half the length with stone Tie a whipping knot Bind sinew and bone Go into the fields Search through bog and knoll Find a pleasing lamb For the offering pole High, high, high, love High, high, high High, high, high Let the ashes fly High, high, high, love High, high, high High, high, high Set fire to the sky Gather wood and straw Bring the fuel to sow Seed for barley corn Bless the plow and hoe Set the wood on fire Light the hallowed pyre Sing a song of praise As the flames burn higher High, high, high, love High, high, high High, high, high Let the ashes fly High, high, high, love High, high, high High, high, high Set fire to the sky Feed the wind with flesh Drink from skull and bone Sow the fields with blood Break the rock and stone Stain the earth with life Call the rain and sun Harvest fruit and grain Praise the shining one High, high, high, love High, high, high High, high, high Let the ashes fly High, high, high, love High, high, high High, high, high Set fire to the sky High, high, high, love High, high, high High, high, high Let the ashes fly High, high, high, love High, high, high High, high, high Set fire to the sky ©2012 CrandallRattle Them Bones
Sleep, lay thee down to sleep Cover your ears The wild men out prowling Tonight, the full moon is bright The Harvest Home come It’s time for rejoicing So, don’t let them break down the door Don’t let them rattle them bones Tonight, old bogies will haunt The vineyards will flow The demons come calling Burn, their fires will burn With reckless delight They’ll dance ’til the morning So, don’t let them break down the door Don’t let them rattle them bones Howl, hear the wind howl The time will come soon For long winter slumbers But tonight, the wild men will fright And all will delight At the Wicker Man’s burning So, don’t let them break down the door Don’t let them rattle them bones Peace, child, wait for the dawn Sleep, child, let demons be gone ©2009 CrandallWitching & Divining
Kickin’ at the stones waitin’ on you Gnawin’ on the earth waitin’ on you Witchin’ a new well waitin’ on you I’ve been waitin’ on you Waitin’ on, waitin’ on, waitin’ on you Waitin’ on, waitin’ on, waitin’ on you Waitin’ on, waitin’ on, waitin’ on you Sweet Lara, I’ve been waitin’ on you Dyin’ on the vine waitin’ on you Drinkin’ all my wine waitin’ on you Readin’ bones and signs waitin’ on you I’ve been waitin’ on you Waitin’ on, waitin’ on, waitin’ on you Waitin’ on, waitin’ on, waitin’ on you Waitin’ on, waitin’ on, waitin’ on you Sweet Lara, I’ve been waitin’ on you ©2009 CrandallBrigid’s Cross
Good heart of charity Bring us plenty in time of need Shine on, burn bright Fiery arrow, bring death to life Cure this barren sea Forge and anvil New birth come spring Long shadow, time of strife Milk mother pours when well runs dry Rise up Precious light Shine on Tonight Warm hearth burn effigy Brigid’s Cross leave us in peace Entwine thy soul with my Fare thee well Find sleep tonight Lie down virgin bride Kildare’s angel Find sleep tonight Kildare’s angel Find sleep tonight Kildare’s angel Find sleep tonight ©2009 CrandallHigh Water
Drowning man High water Hard winds Blind rain I don’t know why I won’t lend a hand I don’t know why Red clay Cracked broken River Dry dust bone The sweat on my fingers Sucked up by the noon sun The fields lie fallow River – dry dust bone Sky bleeds Redemption Hard earth Gives way High water Moves swiftly Over thirsty Low lands It came to me like a new horizon Came to me and washed away my pain It came to me like a new horizon Came to me and washed away… my pain ©2009 CrandallRoam
I pierced the sky from heaven Wayward angel with no home Child of chaos Given life to roam My cohorts took up battle When wisdom failed to know The blows once struck Cursed me to roam Roam, roam I’ve transgressed map and compass Clash and clamour feud and row I left the quiet life to roam All weights and counter-measures Pitch and yaw And broken stone I made the crooked path to roam Roam, roam I was there when Christ was thirsty Wet his lips with bitter gall Eased his pain When he cried out for love I gave the knife to Brutus For Cain, I held the stone With honey tongue Led them to roam Roam, roam I’ve blessed a thousand children All babes with mother’s gone I left the wicked ones To roam I’ve got the wind at my back No, I won’t linger long I’ve set my feet on course To roam Roam, roam ©2009 CrandallSeismic
I’m sorry I accused you of crimes that just don’t mean enough To risk exposing fault lines In our tacit harmony I got it wrong I got it wrong That I should bear false witness Paranoia, jealousy Or a careless indignation That serves no one but me I got it wrong I got it wrong Oh, just sing along I got it wrong Two continents colliding Seismic shifts in troubled seas Find the weakest point to exploit Deep volcanic energy I got it wrong I got it wrong Oh, just sing along I got it wrong Where is this going? Too late to forgive I try to recapture The light that let us live All of those long nights All the questions, all the talk Couldn’t put us back together Once the earthquake found its fault I’m combing through the data Trying to find that seismic seed That led to our destruction Under landscapes lush and green I got it wrong I got it wrong Oh, just sing along I got it wrong Oh, you know this song I got it wrong ©2010 CrandallWalk Down
Walk down Yeah, the devil got me Walk down Yeah, the devil got me Walk down Yeah, the devil got me Walk down I’m leavin’ my savior Ain’t changin’ my behavior Ain’t gettin’ no better It’s either now or never There’ll be no convertin’ Touch me, you’ll be hurtin’ You’re gonna put it away You’re gonna hear what I say Down Yeah, the devil got me Walk down Yeah, the devil got me Walk down Yeah, the devil got me Walk down The cellar door is open The stairs are dark and broken This path is gettin’ steeper The valley’s gettin’ deeper The river is shallow The bridge is long and narrow I’m lookin’ at Satan He’s talkin’ but I’m not shakin’ Down Yeah, the devil got me Walk down Yeah, the devil got me Walk down Yeah, the devil got me Walk down The cellar door is open The stairs dark, broken This path is gettin’ steeper The valley’s gettin’ deeper The river is shallow The bridge is long and narrow I’m lookin’ at Satan Well, he’s talkin’ but I’m not shakin’ Down Yeah, the devil got me Walk down Yeah, the devil got me Walk down Yeah, the devil got me Walk down ©2010 Kerr, CrandallMedusa
She’s on the prowl now Searchin’ hard for me Tryin’ to catch my eyes now Wanna ensnare me But I won’t back down I said I won’t back down No, I won’t back down I said I won’t back down Ain’t got no cocaine Runnin’ through my veins Not a pint of whiskey To my name But I won’t back down I said I won’t back down No, I won’t back down I said I won’t back down Gonna blind those snake eyes While I’m flesh and bone I’m gonna bring that bitch down Before I turn to stone No, I won’t back down I said I won’t back down No, I won’t back down I said I won’t back down I will not refrain I said I will not refrain Gonna bring that witch down Won’t petrify my brain No, I won’t back down I said I won’t back down No, I won’t back down I said I won’t back down ©2010 CrandallThe Devil’s Hole
It’s a long way From the bottom to the light of day It’s a long, long tunnel Of lost and luckless souls I can smell the devil’s breath Hits me like a heart attack I feel it creeping over my skin Like a cancer to a bone I made a blind bet With a demon in the dead of night Now I’m inching like a maggot From the fire to the light Searching for the marrow Dying to be whole Aching for the parts of me I left in the devil’s In the devil’s hole He’s come to lay his claim on me Bond backed by a blackguard’s soul But a demon shouldn’t trust a jackal To spend his death in the devil’s hole And I’d do anything To feel some cool air in my lungs I’d even pray to Jesus To see a bright sky filled with sun Searching for the marrow Dying to be whole Aching for the parts of me I left in the devil’s In the devil’s hole It takes a desperate man To barter with his soul But a cut-throat deal with the prince of light Seems better than dying In the devil’s hole ©2010 CrandallHome
Oh, Lord, I wanna go home Oh, Lord, I wanna go home Feel it deep down in my bones Oh, yeah, I want to go home These legs too tired to roam These arms can’t lift no more This heart done turn to stone Oh, yeah, I wanna to go home ©2010 Crandall