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Strung
Tight and Played Loose CD Liner Notes |
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A Floor to Dance Upon/Garry
Owen (McKee/trad)
In a society where more equals success, sometimes we forget to
be grateful for simple things, until they are gone! After a disaster
with dry rot,
and being literally “floor-less” for months, I now
notice floors, and acknowledge their support!
Gary Owen is a lovely little jig, with a message: your reputation can be
ruined by the company you keep! (it was never the same after Custer got
his hands on it)
Mountain dulcimer: Kim McKee
Guitar: Ken Willson
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Deadly Medley (trad)
Not intended to be morose, it just rhymed! The real reason for this
set, was that as a solo performer for years, I would always
be the musician
cut short when festival stages were running long in the schedule.
So when the stage manager would say to me “sorry, we need to make
up some time, so we’ll have to cut you short, you can do one more”.
I would smile, and strike up the “Deadly Medley”, and
get 4 more tunes in!
Hammered dulcimer: Kim McKee
Bouzouki: Ken Willson
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John O’ Dreams
(words, Bill Caddick, music, adop. From Tchokovsky)
I first heard this version in the west of Ireland. I thought
I saw him… in
the mists.
When midnight sings, good people homeward tread
Seek now your blankets and your feather bed
Home is the rover, his journey over
Yield up the nighttime to old John O’ Dreams
Yield up the nighttime to old John O’Dreams
Across the hill the sun has gone astray
Tomorrow’s cares are many dreams away
The stars are flying, your candles dying
Yield up the darkness to old John O’Dreams
Yield up the darkness to old John O’Dreams
Both man and master in the night are one
All things are equal when the day is done
The prince and the ploughman, the slave and the freeman
All find their comfort with old John O’Dreams
All find their comfort with old John O’Dreams
Now as you sleep the dreams come winging clear
The hawks of morning cannot harm you here
Sleep is a river, float on forever
And for your boatman choose old John O’Dreams
And for your boatman choose old John O’Dreams
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Ringin’ in
the Rafters (Kim McKee)
Since I grew up in the television era, I don’t have these “good
old days” to remember.
I miss them none-the-less, so I invented this memory after dancing at a
Ceili in a town hall in Cliffden, County Clare.
Chorus:
The planks are a ratlin’
With dancin’ and tappin’
The walls they are ringin’ with song
And the stories and laughter
Still ring in the rafters
The ringin’ will bring in the dawn
The old ones they gather in their favorite corner
The young ones they scatter like thistle in fall
Wizened gray heads, keeping time with the old songs…
While youth it steps lightly without care at all
How the shadows did swing when the fiddles would sing
Those weary from work could take to their flight
Dancing in air with delights from the kitchen
A blending of senses far into the night
Oh the years keep a slippin’ and
the rafters are missin’
The gatherings that made the seasons stand still
The heat from the fire with my heart rises higher
Till I and the rafters are warm from the chill
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The Foamin’ Sea
(trad)
We learned this from a recording of Ivan Drever, our favorite Scottish
singer/songwriter.
Our usual disclaimer applies here, we may lack a “great brogue”,
but we love the old words…
Vocal, mountain dulcimer: Kim McKee
Vocal, guitar: Ken Willson
The foamin’ sea is dear to me
It bears me home to thee love
What care I for the spume drift fly
It speeds me home to thee love
The heart that’s true ne’er dreads the view
Of stormy clouds or sea love
The curling wave may scare the slave
But ne’er will scare the free love
The wintry blast may bend the mast
And the sheet I’ll ne’er let fly love
Till the water o’er the gunwhale pours
And the squall blows low and high love
The wave may roar on the dark rock shore
And the sea birds sadly wail love
The water grave o’ the storm tossed brave
That sink mid the angry gale love
The tumbling tide and the ocean wide
Are blithesome sights tae see love
The gray gull’s cry in the gatherin’ sky
Tis music sweet to me love
New sunbeams smile on the dusty isle
And the cot that shelters thee love
Thro’ the dashing spray I’ll cleave my way
And hasten home to thee, love
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Wings of Horses (Peter Rowan)
A lovely, lovely song…
Vocal, guitar: Ken Willson
Vocal, Kim McKee
Drums: Michael Marsolek
I am young in this world
I am glad I am alive
I know someday, I’ll fly away
On the wings of horses
On the wings of horses
So free
I wish I had a horse of my own
A wild horse that would never stray
On wings, we could fly home free
A wild horse that would always stay
A wild horse that would always stay
By me
I’m glad my wish will come true
I know that dreams never die
I’m glad that you, will believe too
On the wings of horses
On the wings of horses
So free
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Wistful Wending: (Kim McKee)
I come from several generations of “road people”. Sometimes
by choice, sometimes by necessity. Even when they lingered in one place,
there was movement. When I have pangs of “homelessness”, I
remind myself that for some… home is not a place, but a journey.
Vocal, hammered dulcimer: Kim McKee
Vocal, guitar: Ken Willson
Cello: Janet Haarvig
I am a traveler… a wandering one
With my back toward whence I came
I see the road ahead, the hills beyond
But I will not ask their name
A place I cannot see will keep calling me
Till I lie beneath the sky it lends me
And with grace I’ll stay, then move on my way
My soul in wistful wending
I looked into the face of one who came
From the place where I was bound
We shared the travelers dream with freest hearts
But a traveler ne’er turns round
So our paths did cross, but alone we walked
A love story to each other lending
A lover’s sigh was heard, but to a traveler
Even love’s a wistful wending
The ones who keep the fires and open door
Who give shelter on my way
Will be the memories that I recall
When it’s home and hearth I crave
But when the wind I hear whispers in my ear
A tune that someplace else is lending
Then my voice I’ll raise and sing on my way
A song of wistful wending
Bridge:
Tho’ you may return
If it’s just to learn
Those you’ve left behind have traveled too
And though not as far, it was just as hard
As the road has been for you
I am a traveler ….
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Away Ye Merry Lassies (Georje Holper)
What great images this song conjures up!
We are still searching for the composer, if anyone out there knows
the person, please have them contact us!! We wish we had written
this, but
since we didn’t we’d love to pay huge royalties to the
brilliant writer!!
I’ve been accused of being a… broom rider, but I was
never proud of it until I learned this song! To my daughters I say
RIDE GIRLS
RIDE!!!
Vocal, guitar: Kim McKee
Vocal, bouzouki: Ken Willson
Backing vocals: daughter Darci, Melody Anderson
I told me mum I was goin’ out
She asked what I was all about
I asked if I could take the broom
I’m going to meet the girls
Oh, the moon is wax tonight
And don’t ya like the fellas
I prefer the girls tonight
I’m goin’ to ride the wind
Chorus:
Cause it’s the girls’ night out
Away ye merry lassies
Get your brooms, get ‘em out
We’ll ride the wind tonight
Oh it’s the girls night out
Away ye merry lassies
Get your brooms, get ‘em out
We’ll ride the wind tonight
My sister is so bold and free
She asked if she could come with me
I saw her up above the trees
A-goin’ to ro ride the wind
Oh the moon is wax tonight
And don’t ya like the fellas
I prefer the girls tonight
I’m goin’ to ride the wind
As we were goin’ out the gate
We met our dear old mother
Ridin’ a broom and hummin’ a tune
Goin’ to meet the girls
Oh the moon is wax tonight
And don’t ya like the fellas
I prefer the girls tonight
I’m goin’ to ride the wind
(boy verse, written by Ken)
The girls have gone out on a spree
They left us here the dog and me
They almost swept us off our feet
Goin’ to ride the wind
Oh the moon is wax tonight
And there will be no fellas
We will wait and wonder
While they go to ride the wind
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Heart of the Home (A.M. Stewart)
I hope Mr. Stewart forgives my re-adjusting of his words just a bit. It
is a lovely song. That we adopted for the wedding of a friend.
Vocal: Kim McKee
Vocal, guitar: Ken Willson
Backing vocals: Michael Marsolek, Chip Jasmin
You still smiles when you recall
How the gold ring fit her finger
How you made that moment linger
Let your memories be strong
You had made a brand new start
And found a whole new way of living
With your voices joined together
Singing no sad songs
Chorus:
If the hard times come round
May you see them thru together
And may there be love and laughter
In the heart of your home
You still smile when you recall
How you counted little fingers
And the gratitude still lingers
For the children were born strong
You had made a brand new life
And found a whole new way of living
With your voices joined together
Singing no sad songs
Oh this life it can be hard
And this livin’ is never easy
With your memories to cling to
Summer nights seem winters long
And in your hearts there is a sound
And the only sound worth hearing
Is your voices joined together
Singing no sad songs
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Love Song From You (Kim McKee)
Mechanics’ cars don’t run, carpenters’ houses are in
disrepair. Yea, tho’ I live with a wordsmith and singer, I shall
hear no love songs… until I write my own.
Vocal, guitar: Kim McKee
Vocal, guitar: Ken Willson
Drums: Michael Marsolek
Chorus:
Think I’ll write a love song from you
Saying loving words I’m sure you mean to
Caressing me with poetry and rhyme
Gifting me with love line by line
Maybe you would write if you had time
But your sweet nothings are all mine
You did not leave me in the night
To you that’s love in the morning light
I went to hear a singer weave his song
It was almost like a prayer
He closed his eyes and his heart poured out..
He sang to her as if she were there
I saw him there across the small café’
His eyes looked warm, his eyes looked kind
And you were rambling on and on
While he was singing love songs in my mind
Bridge
But then I remembered why I love you
More than the songs you’ll never sing
So I will write the lyrics if the tune your heart will bring…
Maybe you would write if you had time
But your sweet nothings are all mine
You did not leave me in the night
To you that’s love in the morning light
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Stolen Child (poem WB Yeats, music, Kim McKee)
I secretly keep a small bag packed, in readiness for this invitation from
the little people..
Vocal, hammered dulcimer: Kim McKee
Vocal: Ken Willson
Come away, O human child
To the waters and the wild
Come away, O human child
With a fairy hand in hand
For the world’s more full of weeping
Than you’ll understand
Come away, O human child
To the woods and water wild
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The Shearin’s
No For You (trad)
Living in rural western Montana, we don’t often get a chance
to see world class traditional music. But we were lucky enough
to see The Tannahill
Weavers, in Sandpoint Idaho, only a 5-hour drive away. They did a
beautiful version of this song, and here of course is our usual disclaimer,
that
we mellowed the accent and changed a few words for our fellow rural
Americans, so that we can all understand them.
Vocal, guitar: Ken Willson
Vocal, guitar: Kim McKee
Oh the shearin’s no for you, my
bonnie lassie o
No the shearin’s no for you, my bonnie lassie o
No the shearin’s no for you, for your back it will nae bo
And yer belly’s rowan fu’, my bonnie lassie o
Dae ya mind on yonder hill, my bonnie laddie o
Dae ya mind on yonder hill, my bonnie laddie o
Dae ya mind on yonder hill, where ye said ye would me kill
If ya did nae hae yer will, my bonnie laddie o
Well I’ll no kill ye deid, my bonnie
lassie o
No I’ll no kill ye deid, my bonnie lassie o
Oh I’ll no kill ye deid, nor will I harm yer pretty heid
I will marry ye with speed my bonnie lassie o
It was in the month o’ May, my bonnie
laddie o
It was in the month o’ May my bonnie laddie o
It was in the month o’ May, when the floors they are gay
And the lambs all sport and play, my bonnie laddie o
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Winter Fly (Kim McKee)
A true story. Upon moving to northwest Montana, we discovered that the
sun lived someplace else in the winter. One of the SIX (total) sunny
days, that first winter, I was basking in the only south facing window,
and had a wonderful day with a fly doing the same thing!
Winter fly is awake
The window sill it is warm
She thinks she should go outside
And find something to swarm
But tropical it is not
And she would be better off
To close her eyes
And go back to sleep
Winter sun
He has played a trick on us
For it’s only 10 degrees
And we think we will not freeze
If we go out on a fling
We will come back shivering
So winter fly and I
Should go back to sleep
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