Virtual Yarns - Driftnet

The Callanish Stones

We walked the stony avenue,
Two silhouettes against the sky,
Twenty-one but didn’t look
Much more than seventeen.
In love the one and only time,
No rhyme nor reason how or why,
I held your hand and didn’t try
To ask what it could mean.

I just felt it in my blood, and I felt it in my bones
That we’d started on a journey with a long, long way to tread,
But distance had new meaning in the shadow of the stones,
I ran with open arms to face whatever lay ahead.

We watched the madcap breakers draw
Their patterns in the shifting sand,
You showed me all the pathways
Where your childhood feet had run,
We made love on the hill that looked
Down on your secret land,
And I knew one song had ended
And another one begun.

And I felt it in my blood, and I felt it in my bones
That we’d stepped into a storybook where every tale was true,
But truth took on new meaning in the shadow of the stones,
As if the whole world’s history had led me straight to you.

And we measure our existence out
In circles drawn around the sun,
We work out our tomorrows
From the rising of the moon,
We’ve seen our children start the path
That we’re still walking on,
But nowadays the solstice seems
To come round way too soon.

And I feel it in my blood, and I feel it in my bones,
Now the styles you wore that year have come back round again,
That time takes on new meaning in the shadow of the stones,
The starlight clock is ticking out the cycles that remain.

CALUM’S SONG

My train was late upon that day in forty-two,
I missed my ship by quarter of an hour.
Torpedoes struck at midnight,
No survivors from the crew,
I lost my faith, I lost my friends,
But found a different kind of power
For don’t you know some drown,
Some are saved ?
There’s some bound for the bottom,
Some are riding on a wave,
But as the poet said, "The paths of glory
Lead but to the grave,"
Some are drowned, some are drowned,
Some are saved.

I held my first child in my arms in forty-four,
She clutched my finger in her tiny fist.
The thought-waves rolled right through me
And they shook me to the core,
Just fifteen lonely minutes
And this new life would not exist
For don’t you know some drown,
Some are saved ?
There’s some bound for the bottom,
Some are riding on a wave,
But as the poet said, "The paths of glory
Lead but to the grave,"
Some are drowned, some are drowned,
Some are saved.

The tears fell from my eyes a few short weeks ago,
I watched my youngest grandson graduate,
Some say chance, some say the lord,
And some don’t claim to know,
But here’s one more become a man
And all because a train was late,
For don’t you know some drown,
Some are saved ?
There’s some bound for the bottom,
Some are riding on a wave,
But as the poet said, "The paths of glory
Lead but to the grave,"
Some are drowned, some are drowned,
Some are saved.

Some drown in salt water,
Some drown in salty tears,
Some don’t get to finish what’s begun,
There’s some like me who’ll sink beneath
A rising tide of years,
That’s why I watch the sky
And worship each and every rising sun.

So don’t you send your holy men to rescue me,
Don’t try to drag me back into the fold.
No need to seek salvation
When your spirit’s home and free,
Or when you’ve lived on bonus time
Since you were 22 years old,
For don’t you know some drown,
Some are saved ?
There’s some bound for the bottom,
Some are riding on a wave,
But as the poet said, "The paths of glory
Lead but to the grave,"
Some are drowned, some are drowned,
Some are saved.

MOTORCYCLE MEMORIES

An open sky, an open road,
An old three-fifty motor cycle,
Ma back on the pillion seat,
That's me there on the tank:
My father had rock-steady hands
But not a penny in the bank.
Still, memories are precious and
I know exactly who to thank,
He gave me something worth
Much more than money.

A wooden shack out on the moor,
A lazy afternoon in summer,
I can hear the engine long
Before I see him come.
Steady beats that echo like
The pounding of an old bass drum,
I run hard to meet him and
He lifts me high into the sun,
And soon there is the tick
Of cooling metal...
Hey there Ma... boil the kettle.

Got motorcycle memories,
I well recall that M with wings,
It's in Saint Peter's junkyard
But I close my eyes, I close my eyes
And in my mind the engine sings,
It sings out steady, proud and strong,
It sings about the days long gone,
Another mile gone down the road,
Another song.

Power lines now march across
The place we spent those distant summers,
Barbed wire and high-tensile paid
By money from afar,
They fenced away our landscape but
I still see clearly who we are,
Reflected in the polished chrome,
Or written on the highway tar,
And I believe the times
Are now much better...
In some ways... not in others,
Thank you sisters, thank-you brothers.

Got motorcycle memories, etc

Another time, another age,
Another book, another page,
Another mile gone down the road,
Another song.

Another stage, another scene,
Another thought, another dream,
Another mile gone down the road,
Another song.

Another mile gone down the road,
Another mile gone down the road,
Another mile gone down the road,
Another song

Song lyrics by Rory Maclean

Painting by Robbie Neish


	The Callanish Stones We walked the stony avenue, Two silhouettes against the sky, Twenty-one but didn’t look Much more than seventeen. In love the one and only time, No rhyme nor reason how or why, I held your hand and didn’t try To ask what it could mean. I just felt it in my blood, and I felt it in my bones That we’d started on a journey with a long, long way to tread, But distance had new meaning in the shadow of the stones, I ran with open arms to face whatever lay ahead. We watched the madcap breakers draw Their patterns in the shifting sand, You showed me all the pathways Where your childhood feet had run, We made love on the hill that looked Down on your secret land, And I knew one song had ended And another one begun. And I felt it in my blood, and I felt it in my bones That we’d stepped into a storybook where every tale was true, But truth took on new meaning in the shadow of the stones, As if the whole world’s history had led me straight to you. And we measure our existence out In circles drawn around the sun, We work out our tomorrows From the rising of the moon, We’ve seen our children start the path That we’re still walking on, But nowadays the solstice seems To come round way too soon. And I feel it in my blood, and I feel it in my bones, Now the styles you wore that year have come back round again, That time takes on new meaning in the shadow of the stones, The starlight clock is ticking out the cycles that remain. CALUM’S SONG My train was late upon that day in forty-two, I missed my ship by quarter of an hour. Torpedoes struck at midnight, No survivors from the crew, I lost my faith, I lost my friends, But found a different kind of power For don’t you know some drown, Some are saved ? There’s some bound for the bottom, Some are riding on a wave, But as the poet said, "The paths of glory Lead but to the grave," Some are drowned, some are drowned, Some are saved. I held my first child in my arms in forty-four, She clutched my finger in her tiny fist. The thought-waves rolled right through me And they shook me to the core, Just fifteen lonely minutes And this new life would not exist For don’t you know some drown, Some are saved ? There’s some bound for the bottom, Some are riding on a wave, But as the poet said, "The paths of glory Lead but to the grave," Some are drowned, some are drowned, Some are saved. The tears fell from my eyes a few short weeks ago, I watched my youngest grandson graduate, Some say chance, some say the lord, And some don’t claim to know, But here’s one more become a man And all because a train was late, For don’t you know some drown, Some are saved ? There’s some bound for the bottom, Some are riding on a wave, But as the poet said, "The paths of glory Lead but to the grave," Some are drowned, some are drowned, Some are saved. Some drown in salt water, Some drown in salty tears, Some don’t get to finish what’s begun, There’s some like me who’ll sink beneath A rising tide of years, That’s why I watch the sky And worship each and every rising sun. So don’t you send your holy men to rescue me, Don’t try to drag me back into the fold. No need to seek salvation When your spirit’s home and free, Or when you’ve lived on bonus time Since you were 22 years old, For don’t you know some drown, Some are saved ? There’s some bound for the bottom, Some are riding on a wave, But as the poet said, "The paths of glory Lead but to the grave," Some are drowned, some are drowned, Some are saved. MOTORCYCLE MEMORIES An open sky, an open road, An old three-fifty motor cycle, Ma back on the pillion seat, That's me there on the tank: My father had rock-steady hands But not a penny in the bank. Still, memories are precious and I know exactly who to thank, He gave me something worth Much more than money. A wooden shack out on the moor, A lazy afternoon in summer, I can hear the engine long Before I see him come. Steady beats that echo like The pounding of an old bass drum, I run hard to meet him and He lifts me high into the sun, And soon there is the tick Of cooling metal... Hey there Ma... boil the kettle. Got motorcycle memories, I well recall that M with wings, It's in Saint Peter's junkyard But I close my eyes, I close my eyes And in my mind the engine sings, It sings out steady, proud and strong, It sings about the days long gone, Another mile gone down the road, Another song. Power lines now march across The place we spent those distant summers, Barbed wire and high-tensile paid By money from afar, They fenced away our landscape but I still see clearly who we are, Reflected in the polished chrome, Or written on the highway tar, And I believe the times Are now much better... In some ways... not in others, Thank you sisters, thank-you brothers. Got motorcycle memories, etc Another time, another age, Another book, another page, Another mile gone down the road, Another song. Another stage, another scene, Another thought, another dream, Another mile gone down the road, Another song. Another mile gone down the road, Another mile gone down the road, Another mile gone down the road, Another song Song lyrics by Rory Maclean Painting by Robbie Neish