1. |
Ferns
05:02
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I went down to the forest all for to take a slumber
The canopy was thinning and the sky was turning grey
But soon as I drew near all I saw was fresh cut lumber
The forest that I loved so dear had up and gone away
So I went to find my darling, she was waiting by the water
Her skin smooth as the pebbles that she'd worn down with her hair
She knew what I had come for and I quelled her mighty shiver
She drowned me in the river and she took my body there
Lay me down in the shady grove where the nesting starlings go
I'll make no sound, but I'll take ample care that the wild ferns may grow
As the ground hides my face from the world you won't see my subtle smile
But don't you fear, you will come to rejoin me in just a little while
You will come to rejoin me in just a little while
Come to me, to the place where a sapling will one day be a tree
In the pines you'll wrap yourself within my branches and I'll know that you're still mine
Take some care, though thorned, the blackberry blossom just longs to feel the air
But don't you fear, if the wild fern remains then you will know that I'm still there
If the wild fern remains then you will know that I'm still there
Hold my hand in the spot where my digits dried up and joined the sand
Breathe in deep and smell the sharp, sweet scent of tree sap where the elder cedars stand
Columbine, though you will think your ears deceive you, you will hear a marching band
So sing with me and as wild ferns we will return and we will live on through the land
As wild ferns we will return and we will live on through the land
As wild ferns we will return and we will live on through the land
As wild ferns we will return and we will live on through the land
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2. |
Stars and Shells
04:41
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I had to
Pluck the veins from the roots of the trees
'Til I found the words that would bring you to me
And it led me down through the coils of a shell
And the sand hit my face as I noticed I fell
From a tree
As the wind kissed the air and the sun
And I landed on clouds and I started to run
And the rain and the trees all combined into one
But it's funny to see you're still gone
In the night I could see all the wings of the stars
Treading softly on night, waging silent cold wars
Where the moon made a face that glows brilliantly
And we shone 'til the day broke and brought me the sea
With a name
Where a shell found a reason to be
And a heart found a love in its eternal sleep
And a part of it buried itself into me
And I hear you're still singing that song
In a world that had been there too long for the crowd
I saw an old shadow encased in a shroud
And the moon and the tree and the shell made a ring
I began to see everything
And I ran 'til my legs both gave way
And I ran 'til my legs both gave way
'Til dawn turned to dusk and then dusk turned to day
And I begged and I pleaded for you just to stay
As you turned with a smile I saw your lips say
"Don't you see? I was here all along
You forgot how we sang our old song
And when you look back, Orpheus, I will be
Gone"
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3. |
Salome
04:07
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Well she danced into our town just like an avalanche in May
She broke some hearts, she showed some parts
The boys came back, but not the same
A couple steelworkers from Darby told us all to stay away
But when there's fire a man's a liar
Especially once he's had a taste
She travelled far from bar to bar with seedy clients and cheap stains
But when she danced I was entranced
And knew I had to stake my claim
For ten long nights without the lights she kept me mighty entertained
But then her jaw, a gaping maw
Unhinged as if she was a snake
The life I'd known so well
A tired broken shell
I thought I was prepared
Until my soul was bared
I'd never known so much
Until I felt her touch
But now I must repay
The temptress Salome
All pastors should be pastors good but I had lust among my traits
I could not win against my sin
And so I fell into this fate
I tried to fight without the light and so we tumbled on the ground
I was overpowered, my soul devoured
At least my body's still around
So boys, you heed my tale
You'd better listen well
The market of the just
Is never paid with lust
You'll have to pay a toll
The price your precious soul
So you'd best turn away
If you see Salome
Well she danced into our town just like a storm in late July
She had some heat, was oh so sweet
You know she caught a couple eyes
A man of God from North Dakota told us all to turn and flee
But with those hips, those juicy lips
You know she don't quite bother me
The life I'd known so well
A tired broken shell
I thought I was prepared
Until my soul was bared
I'd never known so much
Until I felt her touch
But now I must repay
The temptress Salome
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4. |
Slumbering Man
06:38
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Where the willow goes
Roots crawling under my skin
While the zephyr blows
Tossing and turning again
Tossing and turning again
While the breeze blew softly you slept through the years
And young hearts went bankrupt from borrowing tears
And the lake dried to nothing, where life had once sprung
The old were once young
The old, once, were young
As the river flows
And runs 'til it finally ebbs
And the ivy grows
Blankets of silvery webs
As the creek flowed through you slept well past the war
And children asked what you were slumbering for
And in time they forgot you, asleep and alone
Unseen and unknown, unseen and unknown
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5. |
The Inferno
03:29
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Fragile life so fleeting, forestry receding
We lit the match, now watch it all turn black
Ancient trees are falling, industry is calling
We're crying for help, we brought this on ourselves
Nature now in mourning, could we heed the warning
Return to our ways, and then resume the blaze
Like a wreck at the bottom of a hill
I burned while those around me screamed their last breath
And in the end, those voices haunt me still
I've learned some things don't leave you even after death
I could never forget a face, but I still haven't found a name
And I just need to find a place where the outcome is not the same
Like a wreck at the bottom of a hill
I burned while those around me screamed their last breath
And in the end, those voices haunt me still
I've learned some things don't leave you even after death
And in my rest I'll dream of what I will
There is a blossom with my name
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6. |
Darkness Fell
10:15
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Well you told me bout a shrine that you had gone to years ago
Where everything was beautiful and calm
And you came upon a creek as still as night and chill as snow
Where you could wash away the blood upon your palms
She looked into your eyes and then she asked if she could stay
Just a little while so she could make amends
But even as you shine you know you're bound to fade away
Whether it's given or it's taken from your hands
And you saw a floating dagger, but you didn't see the crime
As you crept upon him sleeping in his bed
And in your frenzy and your fear you must have stabbed him fifteen times
Before you realized the sleeping king was dead
Forsaking bullets for a blade you tried to take the world by storm
And though the blood you spilled was dark, you knew at least the blood was warm
You didn't know exactly when you went and left yourself behind
But at that point you didn't really mind
With raging darkness in your hand and careless evil in your heart
You cut a swathe from town to town and tore young families apart
And when the evil had run out you tried start one of your own
But then the evil left you totally alone
The sunlight streaming on your face, the darkness tried to hide away
The girls you'd spared were saying grace, but then what for you couldn't say
It seemed so easy just to stop until the urges all returned
For peace of mind was all you'd ever yearned
And as you stepped into your grave you told me what you had to say
You hadn't meant to go so far, you hadn't always been this way
You had a family like you wanted and you laid their pretty heads
On beds of bone and blankets of the dead
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7. |
The Vagrant
04:43
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I've been out for ten years and I'm destined to roam
From the hills to the sea to the sea
But there's a comfort you get from just drinking alone
And seeing how simple it's been just to be
Well, there's a place over west that they call Smuggler's Bay
Where they'd drink and they'd holler and shoot
With time the place faded and faded away
Leaving nothing but driftwood and whiskey-stained boots
From campfires to ashes and blue skies to rain
I've wandered this path whilst it wanders the same
Well I'm a road-weary wanderer, and I'm out for to roam
And it may not seem much, but this road is my home
If a man is a shadow, and his shadow's a ghost
Could you reach out and lend him a hand?
For a ghost of a man might just need it the most
At least 'til he's found his way back to dry land
Well I've stoked many fires, and from this I have learned
That a fire burns bright and burns strong
But one day a fire just ceases to burn
And Lord, when that happens, it's time to move on
From campfires to ashes and blue skies to rain
I've wandered this path whilst it wanders the same
Well I'm a road-weary wanderer and I'm out for to roam
And it may not seem much but this road is my home
It may not seem much, but this road is my home
It may not seem much
But this road is my home
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Shadowfax Vancouver, British Columbia
Shadowfax is an alternative folk band that emerged from a pure white egg floating on a bed of seafoam in the Aegean Sea, but they are currently based in Vancouver, British Columbia. Their music draws from various mythologies and folk tales - from Orpheus and Eurydice to Rip Van Winkle and will o’ the wisps - punctuated by instruments such as pedal steel, banjo, trumpet and, at times, theremin. ... more
Shadowfax recommends:
Bright Mainland
by Jenny Ritter
Beautiful lyrics and melodies, great arrangements, and just such a cozy, nostalgic feel. One of my favourite folk albums in general! Five Nights is a standout for me! -Jeremy
go to albumIf you like Shadowfax, you may also like:
THAT PASSED
by Patrick Regan Band
This collection of '90s work from folkie Patrick Regan and friends will appeal to fans of Fairport Convention and Pentangle.
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A dark, atmospheric blend of instrumental folk and contemporary jazz, exploring the unusual settings of traditional melodic ideas.
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A fascinating, appealing record no less “weird” than the rest of her oeuvre, but certainly the most weirdly versatile.
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Folk for camera
by Louis DeCicco
An album of eight hushed songs from Louis DeCicco that emphasize the gloriously ghostly sound of slide guitar.
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How Does It Feel EP
by Lizzie Weber
Missouri singer/songwriter Lizzie Weber delivers a trio of songs lightly informed by country music, and fleshed out with strings.
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