Seth Lakeman

The Hurlers

Sunday morning
In the summertime
Over worship
We hurlers climb
Over mountains
Valleys deep
Bells were ringing
Round our feet

Come take this warning
Cried the priest
For all good Hurlers
Are the Devil’s feast
He will curse you
Where you stand
Mark his circle
Upon our land

Oh Hurler Boys
Come and make your choice

Bold, brave and strong
We ran the day
‘Til thunder rolled in
With silver rain
Through our fingers
Down our backs
The curse was rising
We were trapped

Tall, straight and stubborn
We faced the sky
That lightening pierced us
Our voices cried
Bodies silver
Hearts of stone
Make no shadows
We stand alone

Feather in a Storm

High waves she cut them up in two
The storm’s eye we could see
With her tattered sails shaking in the gale
A terror for a sight was she

Cutting through the clouds
The moon swept the deck
Her wooden bones all alight
A quick glimpse, ghostly was the wreck
I couldn’t see a soul in sight

Like a feather in a storm
Blowing on the wind
Like a feather in a storm
When the devil threw those cold scarlet eyes
Winter’s night

Timber cracked as she broke upon her back
Her wooden bones all exposed
Stuck there fast with a weather-beaten mast
A pale strong figure he arose

Then standing at the helm
The devil I could tell
His silver cloak all alight
Two burning eyes dancing in the sky
A terror on a winter’s night

Two beacons burning brightly on the tide
A fair warning to return another night
Go quickly when he’s chasing you with flames burning bright

Crimson Dawn

That fateful night
I woke to hear the sound
Like a gun shot
Both windows shaking loud
Great lengthy cries
They came racing through the sky
From a fearsome wreck
With grey daggers stuck in her neck

Crimson dawn my heart was torn
A midnight rescue we were called upon
Freedom fires with burning eyes
Her figure tangled up in turning tides
So I cut her free and fine

This floating town
Had broke up, run aground
The call came out
To put fair Charlotte in
We ploughed those waves
A hundred souls to save
And in fading light
Well I held on strong and tight

Sharp rocks we braved
And the last hand I would save
Was a beauty fair with wild, torn, tangled hair
Thick rope entwined so I cut her free and fine
Into a fast embrace
Well I held her face to face

Blood Red Sky

Staring at the dark with hungry eyes
The moonlight flickered and a shadow cried
A gold ring flashed as the howling stopped
I called her name as the west wind dropped

I brushed her on the arm with a silver cane
Took her by the hand and saw her pain
My breath smelt like a burning house
With bitter cold words upon my mouth

A tall dark figure is on the loose
With bright sharp teeth to bite the truth
I’ll steal your honour and tell you lies
Leave you all alone in a blood red sky
Leave you all alone in a blood red sky

You’ll wake up late in the midday sun
Reach for a shadow and I’ll be gone
Through empty fields and storm blown trees
Praying to the night to set you free

Stained glass windows and shattered pain
A fairytale story and autumn rain
A falling shadow and a cold embrace
Cross your heart and you’ll see my face

Solomon Browne

At fair Mounts Bay on that Christmas week
Such a raging storm no man could speak
A lifeboat thundered through an angry sea
Called Solomon Browne and her company

Good courage it was called
On our heroes brave and bold
Good courage it was called upon that night

Now this stricken coaster called the Union Star
Her maiden voyage she never thought that far
With Captain Morton and his four man crew
A woman to save and her daughters two

Never had a lifeboat fought in vain
She could have made a dash for port but they tried again
All sixteen perished in that mighty wave
It tossed them overboard into a watery grave

Good courage it was called
On our heroes brave and bold
Good courage it was called upon that night

Back at Penlee Point time stood still
For twelve young children cried for their fathers killed
A nation shed tears for years as the news went round
Of the constant courage of their Solomon Browne

Cherry Red Girl

Welcome to this garden girl
Cold is the rose where the white lilies blow
A heavenly paradise place
Where all the pleasant little fruits do grow
Here are lovers they lie down
For the night
‘Til cherry red their hearts are burning bright

Pick a fruit from her fine wardrobe
In oriental pearl and the whole double row
When her lovely little laughter shows
She looks like rosebuds filled with snow
Let no peer or prince from here
Or up on high
Meet cherry red until their hearts are burning bright

Innocent our angel still
Threatening eyes and a stare that could kill
Her brows like bows do stand
Straight in the heart, with no ring in the hand
Let no sacred fruit from here or up on high
Meet cherry red until their hearts are burning bright

Caught in the dark is the cherry red girl
Torn apart from an innocent world

I’ll Haunt You

A year at sea since your letter came
To shatter all our plans
You set me free, changed your name
I stretch out both these hands

On board ship the rumours ride
No-one meets my eye
I’ve thrown your ring out on the tide
I pray my curses fly

To haunt you
Haunt your bed
Tap the windows you’ll wake in dread
Pray that you’d loved me instead
I’ll haunt you, I’ll haunt your bed

I’ve walked alone upon this deck
A thousand times or more
Half a year from my return
These cries fly back to shore

You promised me your love was strong
You said that you’d be true
Go tell yourself now I’m long gone
‘Cause here’s what I will do

I’ll haunt you
Haunt your bed
Tap the windows you’ll wake in dread
Pray that you’d love me instead
I’ll haunt you, I’ll haunt your bed
I’ll haunt you
Sleep in fear
Whisper secrets in your ear
A world away but I’ll be near
I’ll haunt you

Fear me
Whenever you’re sleeping
I will be watching over you

Race to be King

We left our sweethearts and our wives
Along the pier
‘Cheer up’ they said
‘You’ll soon return in half that year’
We sailed up north
To reach the ice
We took full sail
Each boat was manned with guns and rope
To hunt that whale

We know we’ll be fighting in this frost on our own
We’ll see no sight nor sound of our homes
Our lovers they’ll be waiting there ‘til spring
It’s a ramble and a race to be king

Now we’d been sailing a league or three
When we glimpsed that shore
The night was dark and won no hearts so we stayed on board
There fired a shot along our deck and down one side
It cracked our mast and swept in fast
Our bird she cried

Poor Man’s Heaven

Kind friends, well gather round
There’s a dream that I had late last night
There’s plenty of land, good soil and sea
We won’t have to struggle and fight
In poor man’s heaven we’ll have our way
We won’t have nothing to fear, no
With real feather beds we’ll rest our heads
We’ll all have one of our own

It’s a poor man’s heaven to be free
A poor man’s heaven to believe
A poor man’s vision up above
A poor man’s heaven to be loved

We’ll run up their banks, we’ll shoot their cranks
We won’t give a damn who we hurt
With the rich man’s son we’ll have our fun
Stick him there shovelling dirt
We’ll live on champagne and ride that train
Drink from the day until midnight
If someone should dare to ask our fare
We’ll punch him and put out his lights

We’ll live at our ease, take all we please
We won’t have no-one to fend for
If someone gets smart we’ll take him apart
And spread him all over the floor
In poor man’s heaven we’ll have our way
We won’t have nothing to fear, no
With real feather beds to rest our heads
We’ll all have one of our own

Greed and Gold

I heard a loud knock upon my door
A sweet stranger she entered in
The night was dark, the wind it roared
Broken beauty she did bring

Greed and gold
Greed and gold
Forever the loneliest road

Welcome fine lady won’t you stay this night
For fortunes may unfold
I see precious jewels you keep so tight
Like a sweet child in from the cold

A silent room in the dead of night
Two lovers lay there entwined
From a deep sleep to her bed I creep
Great treasures there I find
The midnight moon all across her face
It steals her out from a dream
The mirror smashed, sharp silver flashed
Broken beauty she did scream

Crying greed and gold
Greed and gold
Forever the loneliest road

Early in the morn you will find me gone
I’ll seek a dark distant shore
I’ll walk in fear but always hear
Her knocking at my front door

Sound of a Drum

I come to you with honour
I come to you in vain
I’ve come to you my true love
In the greenwood you were slain

I do as much for my love
As any young man may
I’ll sit and mourn her memory
For twelve months and a day

The sound of a drum
Beating all around
Like a shadow on the run
Caught in the dark
And lover lay down

I’ll think upon this garden
Where the purest footprints walk
Fairest flower blossomed
Has now withered to a stalk

Your lips they are cold my sweetheart
Your breath is earthly strong
If I kiss your cold clay lips
My time here will not be long