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Wild Awake

by John Lyle

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1.
Above the Rain 05:03
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Above The Rain Above the rain like a child against a broken window pane All the lines in a nursery rhyme can’t find that time again Nothing like the dawn to brighten your day Wave her magic wand her magical way Above the rain like a weathervane, with nowhere to turn Folding grass don’t know to ask gods for air to burn Nothing like the dawn to brighten your day Wave her magic wand her magical way Above the rain, like a man insane, upon a fiery steed Frozen hooves destroy the roofs above what lies beneath Nothing like the dawn to brighten your day Wave her magic wand her magical way Above the rain, on another plane, you can see everything’s alright The sky is blue and the wind blows through ribbons of pure light Nothing like the dawn to brighten your day Wave her magic wand her magical way Over and over and over and over again
2.
I Thought I Saw You 02:31
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I Thought I Saw You I thought I saw you where the weeping willows grow Down by the river wearing someone else’s clothes Then the wind did change and softly touch my brow As if to say, I am with you now But when I looked again you were no longer there Not but a shadow held my world of stormy care I’d sworn remembrance soon forgotten with the day Everything appears to pass away I thought I saw you but my seeing was in vain When all I wanted was to see you once again I thought I saw you where the hills of evening glow You were wearing someone else’s clothes
3.
Hold On as She Goes 03:01
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Hold On as She Goes Outside The Golden Lantern hoboes wear no clothes They set a certain standard I’m gonna go below Look at the faceless wonder blowing through the rye Tripping ‘cross the tundra, thrilling to the sky The pouring rain keeps saying hold on as she goes There’s no time to waste in this Holy place Hold on as she goes The milk of human kindness warming in the sun How better to remind us, nothing will be done The pouring rain keeps saying hold on as she goes There’s no time to waste in this Holy place Hold on as she goes Outside The Golden Lantern the fires have gone cold The homeless search the ashes for the things they’ve been told The pouring rain keeps saying hold on as she goes There’s no time to waste in this Holy place Hold on as she goes
4.
They Stoned Her 02:11
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They Stoned Her She wore the scarlet letter like a chain Across the wellspring of her heart Those who knew no better turned their backs And stole the rocks from her hearth They stoned her in the foothills where she’d left the chosen path They stoned her with her buried up unto the neck in sand These are the twisted teachings from the ancient, ragged throat Of a misbegotten shadow from the nightmare of a goat In the lonesome valley broken blossoms scent the morning air No one builds a coffin while a child is held aloft to stare They stoned her in the foothills where she’d left the chosen path They stoned her with her buried up unto the neck in sand These are the twisted teachings from the ancient, ragged throat Of a misbegotten shadow from the nightmare of a goat
5.
Shadow of the Wasteland 02:00
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Shadow of the Wasteland In the shadow of the wasteland in the desert of the heart All the threads have come unravelled, all the dogs have lost their bark In the shadow of the wasteland where the heathen start to pray Like the rain must fall, they’ll be leavin’ there someday In the shadow of the wasteland they’re buried where they stand Trying to get heaven in a strange and distant land In the shadow of the wasteland there ain’t nothin’ left to say Like the rain must fall, they’ll be leavin’ there someday They got the motor runnin’ but they have nowhere to go They hear the cattle lowin’ but they got no horn to blow In the shadow of the wasteland in the desert of the heart Something’s always coming and it’s always off the chart In the shadow of the wasteland there ain’t nothin’ left to say Like the rain must fall, they’ll be leavin’ there someday
6.
A New Bandana 02:10
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A New Bandana Cut-throat morons with their bloody horns and their bodies made of beer Oh Susanna, got a new bandana but I won’t wear it here There’s a place where the shining face of freedom takes a stand Whosoever’s gonna hold together way down in Neverland You start out golden then you wind up holding All the things your mother told you You had to know to get to go, where it is you’ll never know The sacrifice you’ll have to make to find your calling Oh so many tears keep falling Screw repentance, it’s a whole life sentence and that’s a lot of years Oh Susanna, got a new bandana but I won’t wear it here There’s a place where the shining face of freedom takes a stand Whosoever’s gonna hold together way down in Never Down in Never, down in Never, down in Never, down in Neverland I felt much better when I wrote that letter ‘bout the moonshadow And the old ladder, and the silver that fell from your hair I felt so shattered when it still mattered I’m too cold to care Screw repentance, it’s a whole life sentence and that’s a lot of years Oh Susanna, got a new bandana but I won’t wear it here There’s a place where the shining face Of freedom takes a stand Whosoever’s gonna hold together Way down in Never, down in Never, down in Never Down in Never, down in Never, down in Never, down in Neverland
7.
No One Knows 03:44
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No One Knows No one knows where minutes go to while away the hours No one knows they find repose in shadows of the flowers Down the road where no one knows the twists and turns abide You and me go flyin’ free on wings of butterflies No one knows how tender shows of colour touch the heart No one knows the dying throes of winter like the lark Down the road where no one knows the twists and turns abide You and me go flyin’ free on wings of butterflies No one knows and so it goes, the staggered poets chime No one knows the plight of those who live their lives in time Down the road where no one knows the twists and turns abide You and me go flyin’ free on wings of butterflies
8.
Love Is 01:45
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Love Is Love is hot, love is cold Love will still be in our hearts When we’ve grown old If you’ll take my hand, we’ll go on making plans Til we both understand love anew Love is me, love is you Love is still the only system that’ll do If you’ll take my hand we’ll go on making plans Til we both understand love anew Many’s the couple get into trouble driven apart by their pride Loving is giving and only by giving can loving be made to survive Love goes out, loves comes in Love is true and what we’ve really always been If you’ll take my hand we’ll go on making plans Til we both understand love anew
9.
Another Golden Dream 03:20
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Another Golden Dream All my roses refuse to tantalize They ain’t for tellin’ no more lies No striking poses Where the red dirt road divides Ain’t no need for no disguise Who lights a candle When the moon is on the rise Where is the fortress for my pride Another golden dream has set upon this town Who builds a house to burn it down Any number trust the winds of change Holy freedom in a cage All asunder, scattered to the age Falling down into a rage Who lights a candle When the moon is on the rise Where is the fortress for my pride Another golden dream has set upon this town Who builds a house to burn it down
10.
The Mourning Dove 01:55
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The Mourning Dove Was a mourning dove in the old grey window I heard his song, I don’t know when though For my eyes did cloud with unknown sorrows That had blinded me to the day Was a mourning dove on the highest rafter The heartless spoke their final answer To the waiting crowd whose moment shattered Into pieces cold as the clay It’s a rising up and laying down Of a boundless love and thorny crown It’s a rising up and laying down Was a mourning dove in the sweet hereafter Who sang his song of joy and laughter With an endless heart where it’s all looked after And the rolling sky’s never grey It’s a rising up and laying down Of a boundless love and thorny crown It’s a rising up and laying down
11.
The Walls of Jericho 02:36
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The Walls of Jericho Sunbeams echo through the twilight of time Broken shadows come and render us blind Can’t read the writing on the walls of Jericho Phantom thieves with no eyes of delight Bare their arms in the house of blue lights That’s what you get inside the walls of Jericho Out on borrowed air the crooked bay moons Ammunition for the crack of the runes Thrown again against the walls of Jericho What can be hides behind the night Like a rope of sand, it just can’t stand the light Fingerprints on the mirror of the mind Wash away with the tears of the tide Still and gone beside the walls of Jericho
12.
Open Wide 03:06
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Open Wide Against the drift of reason There appeared another season Darkness could not hide All that had closed was open wide Shifting like the weather With the fortunes of a feather Much to my surprise All that had closed was open wide Always loosely woven When a pledge from the beholden Need not be denied All that had closed was open wide Wholly out of balance Like the wonderland of Alice Outside battle lines All that had closed was open wide
13.
I Know Who I Am 02:16
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I Know Who I Am I know who I am, I know why I’m here I know who I am, now I understand What was far is near You can take my eyes, you can take my ears You can take my heart but the loving part Will not disappear Is it any wonder how clear the truth can be Was I expecting thunder and lightning to set me free You have searched the sky, you have searched the sea You can search the sands for a thousand lands But you won’t find me Is it any wonder how clear the truth can be Was I expecting thunder and lightning to help me see I am that which drives this body I am that which made it be And I will break it down And wash it to the sea

credits

released February 7, 2010

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John Lyle Sechelt, British Columbia

The lyrics for most of the songs appearing in these albums are available in book form: "The Kindest Lies: the Lyrics of John Lyle", published by Leaky Boot Press (June 28, 2013).

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