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1. |
Reivers By Name
03:33
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Reivers By Name
Dave Gibb MCPS/PRS
We thought we’d be gone three days, maybe a week
As we gathered the things that we’d need
Then chasing a band of Northumbrian thieves
We headed out over the Tweed
One day to find them, one day to fight them
One day to bind up our wounds
Then we’ll gather what’s ours and we’ll steal what was theirs
Cattle weapons and goods
Thieving’s our nature, we’re reivers by name
Armed to the teeth for the fight
They steal from us and then we steal from them
In the borders the strong have the right
Then the King’s men came down but they’re men of the town
They don’t know our ways or our needs
They thought they could force on us laws we don’t know
They thought they could temper our greed
Thieving’s our nature, we’re reivers ……..
The law that we live by is the law of revenge
A law that’s enforced with cold steel
A justice delivered with blood, fire and flame
A justice that’s hard, fast and real
Thieving’s our nature, we’re reivers ……..
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2. |
Tall White Horses
04:12
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Tall White Horses
Dave Gibb MCPS/PRS
I’m going to head down to the waterside
Watch the wind annoy the waves
And let those tall white horses
Carry me away
Carry me away
No sooner have I landed here
Than its time to leave again
Waiting for the boat to sail
Saying goodbye in the rain
This pain of leaving’s been with me
A thousand times or more
But I find I’m old and wiser now
And I don’t like it anymore
I’m going to head down to ……..
But the day will come and it won’t be long
When that ferry sails away
They’ll turn to wave the land goodbye
And they’ll see me standing there
When the miles alone have beaten me
And I’ve grown tired of all the pain
And I find a place that says to me
You need never leave again
I’m going to head down to ……..
But today the miles are calling me
So today I’ll have to leave
Soon we’ll all be far away
My memories and me
So once again I find myself
Waiting for the boat to sail
And once again I’m standing here
Saying goodbye in the rain
I’m going to head down to ……..
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3. |
The Leaving
04:51
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The Leaving
Dave Gibb MCPS/PRS
We sail for the Americas tomorrow
We’ll leave our past, our history behind
We’ll carry with us memories of joy and love and sorrow
And hope the wounds of leaving will close and heal with time
The longboat lies along the shoreline
It will ferry us to the ship come break of day
Then they’ll turn her to the west and steer for the horizon
And off into our futures we will sail away
We’re heading out for Canada’s wide spaces
Where a man must earn his worth, or so they say
We leave behind us lords and those who stole the land God gave us
But still I know deep down inside my heart I’d rather stay
Driven out of hearth and home there’s nothing here for me
Driven down to the waterside, driven out to sea
Heading now for Canada and a freedom I’ve never known
Even the man of God watched on
As the lords tore down our home
Still we’ll leave all that behind should we survive the voyage
They prefer the servitude of sheep to men
And I’ll take my place in freedom’s land secure within the knowledge
That me and mine will never bend the knee to a man called lord again
Driven out of hearth and home there’s nothing here for me
Driven down to the waterside and driven out to sea
Heading now for Canada and a freedom I’ve never known
Even the man of God watched on
As the lords tore down our home
We sail for the Americas tomorrow
It’ll break my heart when the ship gets underway
We’ll carry with us memories of joy and love and sorrow
But still I know deep down inside my heart I’d rather stay
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4. |
The Cost
03:41
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The Cost
Dave Gibb MCPS/PRS
He stands alone in the cold
Waiting for the boat to carry him away
Feeling tired, he’s feeling old
He knows he couldn’t stay here anyway
Couldn’t stay here anyway
Now its time for him to go
The battle’s fought and lost
And he’s finally learned the cost
Of fighting someone else’s cause
Now he hides and runs away
That’s the price the loser pays
Visions filter through the tears
Visions of the men who swore they’d win the day
Fortune smiled on them it seemed
Then fortune turned her back and walked away
Turned her back and walked away
Fortune didn’t want to know
He heard the battle call
Saw them fight and saw them fall
Through the horror of it all
As their lives were hacked away
That’s the price the loser pays
Now the life he’d known is gone
As are the men he swore to fight for on the day
Fate decreed he must move on
As fate decreed who lived and died that day
Who lived and died that day
Who should walk and who should fall
And now the poor fool knows
That the life he called his own
Was only ever his on loan
It can be quickly snatched away
That’s the price the loser pays
He stands alone in the cold
Waiting for the boat to carry him away
Feeling tired, he’s feeling old
He knows he couldn’t stay here anyway
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5. |
Friday Night Ritual
04:44
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Friday Night Ritual
Dave Gibb MCPS/PRS
She says to me – let’s have a Friday night in
With our feet up in front of the box
And if anyone visits we won’t let them in
We’ll make sure the doors are all locked –
So I’m sprawled on the couch feeling sober and bored
And I’m thinking that I’ve had enough
When the Emmerdale theme tune pours out of the box
And I think – right, bugger this hen, I’m off –
I pull on my jacket and I pull on my shoes
And I dip twenty quid out her purse
And I bugger off sharpish before she complains
Or piles on the guilt which is worse
I slam the door closed with a smile on my face
And I merrily step on my way
But I know in the morning hangover and all
She will make bloody sure that I pay
The Friday night ritual is sacred and pure
Something that’s not to be missed
Its when civilised men all over the world
Go out and get totally pissed
Its dark and its cold and its drizzly wet
And the shivers run through to my soul
Then that pub door swings open and the heat hits my face
And the lights are like warm pools of gold
The smell of the booze brings a lump to my throat
And the laughter brings tears to my eyes
And with slavers collecting in pools round my feet
I step into that heaven inside
Seven pints later I’m still at the bar
Talking keech to some guy I’ve just met
And everything he’s done, well I’ve done as well
Only better and twice with no sweat
Every five minutes my bladder insists
I take a wee trip to the loo
Cause its strange that for every pint you pour in
Your body disposes of two
The Friday night ritual is sacred……
You’ve finally dripped your last pint down the drain
And its time to head into the night
And the further away from the pub that I get
The closer I am to a fight
She may be asleep, she may be awake
She may have gone home to her mam’s
But she’s probably crouching behind the front door
With a big baseball bat in her hand
When your logic is drunk it is perfectly clear
That your thinking is never too straight
And you can’t understand why a night on the booze
Tends to make your wee loved one irate
Its not that we don’t like your company you know
We like it much more than you think
But when Emmerdale, Brookside and all them come on
Well it drives mortal man to the drink
The Friday night ritual is sacred……
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6. |
Long Road Down
04:25
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Long Road Down
Dave Gibb MCPS/PRS
Time is demon with a smile in his eye
But let him into your soul and he’ll eat you alive
Just let him wash over you and suffer the pain
Because time teaches well that you fight him in vain
It’s a long road down
It’s a long road down
It’s a long road down
But it ends far too soon
I’ve been wandering this world in the footsteps of who
Talking with wise men and talking with fools
Discussing our fates by the light of the flame
While time watches on and absorbs all the blame
It’s a long road down……
The fire dies down and the words disappear
So I strive for the moment to accept that I’m here
For all that I wanted once clearly defined
Have been flipped out of focus with the passing of time
It’s a long road down……
Laughing with rich men and dining with poor
Wondering if faith’s worth the pain any more
The goals that I set myself drift out of view
‘Cause wherever I go I know time will come too
It’s a long road down……
Time is demon with a smile in his eye
But let him into your soul and he’ll eat you alive
Just let him wash over you and suffer the pain
Because time teaches well that you fight him in vain
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7. |
Traditional Song
03:22
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Traditional Song
Dave Gibb MCPS/PRS
I met her on a moonlit road
Her hair as black as the devil’s coal
We walked towards the sound and light that lit her very soul
I brushed aside her long black hair
And I whispered softly in her ear
You’ll never walk alone again
Of that you’ll never fear
We opened the door and went inside
The crowd was lit with candlelight
We took a drink and settled down beside the fireside
I brushed aside her long black hair
And I whispered softly in her ear
You’ll never drink alone again
Of that you’ll never fear
Beneath the lamps we danced away
Laughing as the fiddles played
And in my heart I kept a note of every word she said
I brushed aside her long black hair
And I whispered softly in her ear
You’ll never dance alone again
Of that you’ll never fear
We stumbled out into the night
Our faces red and our heads were light
Arm in arm we headed home to settle for the night
I brushed aside her long black hair
And I whispered softly in her ear
You’ll never go home alone again
Of that you’ll never fear
We lay entwined in a crumpled bed
Our breath was short, our passion spent
I held her close and tried to catch the thoughts inside my head
I brushed aside her long black hair
And I whispered softly in her ear
You’ll never lie alone again
Of that you’ll never fear
And when I rose to face the day
I asked her if she’d let me stay
‘Twas then she made me promise that I’d never go away
I brushed aside her long black hair
And I whispered softly in her ear
You’ll never know life alone again
Of that you’ll never fear
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8. |
Comfort Me
03:02
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Comfort Me
Dave Gibb MCPS/PRS
Will you cry for me my lady?
Will you take me in your arms?
As I lie here fading
A tired and beaten man
I was glad to do your bidding
Though you brought me here to this end
Please comfort me my lady
And cry for me again
We thought we could dance forever
When we wore our youth like gold
So little time behind us
An eternity to go
‘Twas a time of shameless passion
A time for shameful games
Though we laughed as time went passing
Time touched us just the same
But a sadness swelled within us
And the pride of youth grew old
The world withdrew its kindness
And grew distant, hard and cold
But still I stayed with you lady
Though you’ve brought me here to this end
So please comfort me my lady
And cry for me again
Comfort me my lady
And cry for me again
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9. |
Mentally Degoolified
03:12
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Mentally Degoolified
Dave Gibb MCPS/PRS
I’ve got a cat called Grebo
It’s a name that seems to fit
He used to be a boy cat
But now he’s just an ‘it’
He’s lost those wee appendages
That make a Tomcat tick
‘Cause a woman took him to the vet
And had the wee soul snipped
A lady I know has a horse
Called Donald - and this is true
Now Donald, just like Grebo
Has an empty scrotum too
He used to be a stallion
That’s as butch as horses get
But now he’s only half a horse
A sort of stallionette
Snip them, crimp them, cut them off
That’s what they want to do
They don’t think its fair that they’ve got none
While we walk round with two
I’m just a poor wee hubby
My place I’ve come to know
But now she’s got me by them
She’s not going to let them go
When she’s mad she says
She’s going to kick me where it hurts
But I’m not scared
I know she’ll have to sow them back on first
Snip them, crimp them……
Well now that she’s removed them
She keeps them both well hid
But I recognise those earrings
They’re small and round and rid
But I’m speaking metaphorically
Things ain’t quite that sad
But to be mentally degoolified
Is nearly just as bad
Snip them, crimp them……
I’m not too religious
I’m not wracked with pangs of guilt
But god must be a woman
When you look at how man’s built
The liver spleen and kidneys
Are tucked safely up inside
While the tender bits just dangle there
At a woman’s kicking height
Snip them, crimp them……
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10. |
The History Song
04:39
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History Song
Dave Gibb MCPS/PRS
On a wide plateau five thousand years ago
They laid the big stones down
Stones that held the dreams of man
They laid the circle round
And we don’t know why but to touch the sky
They made the stones stand tall
And well never know why they built it so
We just wonder at it all
And it’s hard to believe what man can achieve
With his toil and his sweat and his pain
The men who made the stones stand tall are gone
But the mystery remains
And when war tore the land man made his stand
A thousand years ago
Around his halls he raised the walls
And towers he built of stone
And he built them high to touch the sky
And to keep the fear at bay
And they’re standing still perhaps they always will
As a memory of darker days
And it’s hard to believe……
And when they needed coal two hundred years ago
The men were sent below
There they dug and they died lying on their side
In a two foot seam of coal
But they stood and fought for the things they thought
Were a man’s to have by right
But the coal they’d breathe stole their breath with ease
Like a thief in the dark of night
And it’s hard to believe……
Foundry and fire forge and mill
Are more than only words
To the men who fed the devil’s flame
And poured steel upon the earth
Steel was hammered and steel was rolled
And worked with the skills of man
But the mill stands quiet and the furnace killed
By the politician’s hand
And it’s hard to believe……
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11. |
Battle
03:52
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Battle
Dave Gibb MCPS/PRS
The battle line is drawn up tight
We say our prayers and watch the sun turn gold
This mist will lift eventually
And with its warmth the day will take a hold
But in every man I see along the line
I know the heart beats hard and cold
Through the mists the shadows form
Shadows crawling slowly through the glen
Demons bent on devilry
They change their shape to take the form of men
And if I should survive this day
I’ll never doubt the devil’s name again
Then we see their banners fly
And watch then set their lines below the trees
All along the valley floor
The enemy as far as eyes can see
Now I’m as brave as any man
But still I feel the fear take hold of me
The priests have promised victory
They say the blood we spill is in god’s name
And that Christ is watching over us
We must fight the fight till all the foe are slain
But I look across the valley floor
And I know their priests are telling them the same
The hammering of sword on shield
Announces that we’re ready to begin
All thoughts of fear are banished now
All we want to do is fight and win
And I wonder if I’ll live
And if I’ll ever see the sun turn gold again
I wonder if I’ll live
And if I’ll ever see the sun turn gold again
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12. |
Mellow Song
04:30
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Mellow song
Dave Gibb MCPS/PRS
Crap pours out the radio day and night
But pretty little boy bands ain’t the music you like
I know you like the rhythms soft and low
But you’re not going to hear that on my radio
I know the music doesn’t always get through
So I wrote this mellow little song for you
To brighten up your colours when you’re feeling blue
I’ll play the guitar nice and low
I wrote this mellow song for you you know
To brighten up your colours when you’re feeling blue
The record player back at home
Plays Black Sabbath and The Rolling Stones
To me those bands hold special memories
But I look in your eyes I see the agony
I know the music……
I play the guitar all the time
To try and get these songs out of this head of mine
I know you know it helps me through the day
But the look on your face says - Jesus not again –
I know the music……
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Dave Gibb Wanlockhead, UK
Left Handed, Balding, Post Menopausal, Songwriting Folky from Scotland’s Highest
Village.
A singer of songs and a teller of tales from the hills of Dumfries & Galloway who happily fingerpicks his way through life’s travails.
Songs funny or sad, happy or grim, meaningful or meaningless played fast or slow (sometimes both at the same time)…….He likes a giggle.
... more
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