That's Where You Want To Be (Official Video)
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The war barely done, sixteen years old and I'm heading off to sea,
There's a whole world lying out there waiting for me to wade right in,
The gun smoke is clearing as we turn the final sod,
Won't look behind and I do my very best to hide the scars,
We sail on the morning tide when there's a veil over the water,
On a coal black night one minute seems a lifetime when you're late,
For the rendezvous with a glowing pearl that guards you on your way,
As the waves lift you higher then drop you like a stone,
Your heart could burst when you glimpse a distant flame amidst the gloom,
Every time we'd see the light,
With his arm around my shoulder,
The chief officer would point and say,
Boy that's where you want to be, safe on solid land,
In a lighthouse on the cape, not rolling out here on the waves,
Now I've sailed every ocean and I've stopped in every port,
I've seen the worst, I've seen the best and I'm weighing up the score,
In the sun and the moonlight I'm like the ocean spray,
I make my way across the sand and my footsteps wash away,
Every time we'd see the light with his arm around my shoulder,
The chief officer would point and say,
boy that's where you want to be, safe on solid land,
In a lighthouse on the cape, not rolling out here on the waves.
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2. |
Will You Come Away ?
03:38
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Will you come away darlin' with me to a small desert isle,
There's no time to waste we've got to be there in two days time,
There will be no one else there 'cept me you and the babe,
We'll have everything that we need,
A light that we'll shine out into the night
as the moon caresses the sea,
It's such an adventure as we've never had in our lives,
We'll have fresh air and sunshine and room to do just as we like,
There will be no need to worry 'bout trouble and war,
Destiny drifts on the tide,
We'll gather up driftwood and shells from the shore,
Under a giant azure sky,
And dolphins will dance in the swell,
As the sea breeze tousles your hair,
We'll make a life out there on our own
With stories we'll have to tell folks back home,
They won't believe what they hear,
You mad bugger I'm sure that it's not exactly as you say,
But we're in this together so let's take a chance come what may,
I suppose there'll be pirates and unicorns,
buried treasure right under our feet,
rainbows, mermaids and lollipops,
Pink champagne flowing in a stream,
And dolphins will dance in the swell,
as the sea breeze tousles your hair,
We'll make a life out there on our own,
With stories we'll have to tell folks back home,
They won't believe what they hear.
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3. |
A Light On A Rock
03:10
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Got our whole life packed up in this small wooden boat,
Leaving Stenhouse Bay with our hearts full of hope,
With the love of my life and they are three barmy bairns,
The waiting is over, the adventure's at hand,
And we sail, we follow our dreams to a light on a rock in the heart of the sea,
The bow pushes gamely on through the waves,
And I feel the wind and salt spray on my face,
My skin is tingling, I've got a plan,
I've never felt so alive by God I'm a man,
And I breathe, I breathe it all in,
The air seems so sweet as our new life begins,
Said goodbye to the army I won't go to war,
I've got more precious things that I'm fighting for,
Now I can see the clifftops, almost touch the sand,
And I'm fit to burst as we draw near to land,
With my clan gathered safe in my arms,
I'll sign the lamp and keep all souls from harm,
My soul sings, oh to be free,
On a light on a rock in the heart of the sea.
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4. |
Enough
04:08
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A long time ago or was it yesterday,
I don't know I couldn't say, time has no meaning here,
I left the old town and found another world, there's a freedom in this place,
The rhythm of the tides, the night follows day and day follows night, the mutton birds cry,
The odd fishing boat, sling us some fish and I'll mend your coats,
The top of the tower glass prisms shimmer,
Small rainbows swim like schooling minnows,
Scattered by the sun they drift along the walls and float across the floor,
When Vulcan and Thor do their worst and we're swallowed in the belly of the storm,
The wind, the wind, the howling wind, the banshee wail,
The rifle shot hail pelting the light tower glass,
Icy fingers claw at the door,
blood flows through my veins,
and that's enough,
A brilliant beam slicing through the night and out across the waves,
Sweeping over the land a million candle flames,
I'm looking out toward the brink, what lies beyond the waves won't say,
There is here and now so come what may and tonight, as day gives way to the infinite dark,
As before, as before, as before and tomorrow,
I will light my lamp,
And that's enough,
When Vulcan and Thor do their worst and we're swallowed in the belly of the storm,
The wind, the wind, the howling wind, the banshee wail,
The rifle shot hail pelting the light tower glass,
Icy fingers claw at the door,
blood flows through my veins,
and that's enough, that's enough
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5. |
Between The Air And Sea
04:34
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Between the air and sea floating in the inky void,
Fragile souls seek solid land,
A single beam of light arcs through time and space,
Destiny rests in my hands,
In the lonely hours after midnight,
Silent ghosts and memories,
I'm the captain's son,
I was only a boy when the telegram said he was lost at sea,
Swept away by the war,
We waited day-by-day,
Mother still gazes at the waves,
In the lonely hours after midnight,
There's an owl sitting on the tower gazing at the endless beyond,
Floating on mercury the heartbeat light pulses like blood in time,
At the going down of the sun lest we forget,
There's a guiding star in the dead of night,
The ocean wants to take you in, tightly in it's cold embrace,
In the darkness I will light your way,
In the lonely hours after midnight,
There's an owl sitting on the tower gazing at the endless beyond,
Floating on mercury the heartbeat light pulses like blood in time.
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6. |
The Crab Net
03:32
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Would you take a look at us down by the river,
In the glowing amber dusk where the mouth meets the sea,
Hauling in our nets, wading through the shallows,
Trying not to step on the rays,
Can you hear the silver gulls as they call us,
Stoke the fire up we'll cook the crabs on the beach,
In a rusty metal drum we'll boil up the water,
Sit upon the sand and eat our fill,
Lying on our backs staring at the heavens,
Conversations blend with the rhythm of the waves,
A billion silver stars stretching on forever,
Burst upon our face like seaspray,
like seaspray.
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7. |
Storm
03:50
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There's a line where the sky meets the sea,
It's clear and sharply defined, as if drawn by unseen hands,
Azure meets aquamarine,
Sometimes that line disappears when the southerly guster looms, colours blend,
Towering thunderheads approach from the world's end,
Deadly ominous, pregnant with menace,
An army of water and wind,
Forward scouts testing our defences,
Restless, desperate, whipping up the sand and in the dying light we can see,
Charging cavalry, white horses racing,
across the churning green waves,
We'll soon be locked in battle, the south horizon has already fallen,
Limpet like we desperately cling, tiny specks in the universe,
Small and meaningless we mount the barricades,
Thunderclap that'll smack you down,
X-ray flash concussion,
Wailing tempest and rain so hard,
Clattering tin shakes the jar,
And a wind so strong will the roof fly off,
Or will it fall in and will we be flung into the ravenous sea,
Deadly ominous, pregnant with menace, An army of water and wind,
We are joined in battle,
The south horizon has already fallen,
A melting window pane world outside are we submerged,
And when the storm is finally spent we emerge.
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8. |
To Sleep
03:13
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Falling away, letting go,
Silence in the deep, my wayward soul to keep,
Gazing up toward the dying light,
Colours dart and wheel, hands caress my hair,
Enfolded in her soft embrace,
Careful as you go, tread lightly,
Danger lurks in harmless places,
Toss a line in from the rocks and never turn your back upon the sea,
Drifting weightless between two realms,
Flotsam in the swell,
No pain and no regrets,
In the time it took to look away I was swallowed by a wave,
Smashed against the rocks,
Tell the folks I won't be home,
Careful as you go, tread lightly,
Danger lurks in harmless places,
Toss a line in from the rocks and never turn your back upon the sea,
No more breathing in the Autumn air,
All my debts are paid, there's no place and there's no time,
Now I lay me down up on the bed,
Rest my weary head,
It's so quiet in the deep,
My wayward soul to keep,
All is still and now to sleep.
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9. |
The Searching Night
03:27
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Time enough for waiting under a silver shattered sky,
Quiet, a page of confessions holds the light,
Tell me something maybe, from before stopwatch days,
And clouds slid through our hearts,
Dance me slow in the turning, searching night,
Whisper low, burn me softly in the searching night,
No more seasick sorrow pushing up against the curve,
Your hands spiralling down into my storm,
Leather seats and crushed flowers, I'm fixed to the floor,
As the world spins will you pretend with me again,
Dance me slow in the turning, searching night,
Whisper low, burn me softly in the searching night,
Will the circling ocean swallow us whole,
Dance me slow in the turning, searching night,
Whisper low, burn me softly in the searching night,
I'll find my feet again,
In the curve of the searching night.
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10. |
Summer Day
02:57
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Take a break today there's no work to be done,
On the beach lazing under a southern sun,
In the bay on an island of our own,
all out cares driftaway,
Summer day, endless blue sky and the world can look after itself,
If only for one day,
How we laughed as we bounced our babies on our knees,
And I know there's nowhere else I'd rather be,
Hear the waves kissing the shore with a gentle sighing,
Sing a song from long ago,
And the world can look after itself,
If only for one day,
Floating as in a dream,
Moments that last forever,
Treasure right here in my hands,
Holding the ones I love,
Men folk laugh and joke as they sit a beer,
Unwind as time seems to slip a gear,
In the bay on an island of our own all our cares driftaway,
Summer day,
Endless blue sky with the babies playing in the sand,
The whole world can disappear,
If only for one day.
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11. |
Hopscotch
03:27
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Five to one said that I'd fade away as snow settled over the North land,
I just spend my life inside an iron lung,
No hop, skip and jumping with those legs,
But my father sold me around the world,
Against the doctor's advice,
Now I waltz Matilda around the tower and you'll never see me fall over,
Jackie's mother said stay away,
That girl will be a burden,
They'll be no job for you out on the light,
And she'll bear you no children,
With a hopscotch rhythm I'll make the top,
The pendulum swings from side to side,
A zigzag path carved into the cliff,
And that woman left back on the mainland,
I see the future in my children's eyes as Summer eases to Autumn,
With the rising sun the sea birds all take wing as Spring blossoms out of Winter,
Though there's an extra load inside my pack I'll never break my stride,
Seizing the moment with both hands I don't expect any favours,
And there's one more story I wanted to tell,
But I will wait until the birds have flown over.
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12. |
Stolen Waltz
00:38
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13. |
The Leaving Of The Light
03:56
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Today the birds flew away, shutters closed
The line fell slack, time froze
Memories, driftwood on sand step around them
Make your way to the water's edge
Climb into the boat, take hold of the oars
Turn your eyes to the sea
Loosen the rope, your course has been set
Your sail on the ebb tide
Tonight shadows steel blood, colours fade
The circle is broken forever
The weight that fills empty space bearing down
A keening cry on the breeze
Close your eyes, your troubles have passed
We gather here to sing you home
A cold,cold wind courses through my soul
As the boat drifts away from the quay
For now I'll fold you away in a box with baby clothes, photographs and dreams
This stone dropped into the brine sends ripples out that roll through the years
Turning and burning, one single beam
A comfort, warning and guide
In one hand the son, in the other the void
and the leaving of the light
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Steve Lennox Adelaide, Australia
Steve Lennox's evocative storytelling is infused with prose,hooky rhythms and striking melodies. His influences are vast and
drive his songwriting with an energy that appears in his charismatically joyous live performances.
He has worked with the Slingsby Theatre Company and has been a pivotal member of the Americana outfit,The Heggarties.
... more
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