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 Crandall
The 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 Crandall
Rattle 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 Crandall
Witching & 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 Crandall
Brigid’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 Crandall
High 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 Crandall
Roam
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 Crandall
Seismic
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 Crandall
Walk 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, Crandall
Medusa
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 Crandall
The 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 Crandall
Home
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