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Lonely Heroes: Home

by John Spearn

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1.
Haida Gwaii 03:23
Chorus/intro: There’s a place I long to be And she’s calling out to me Far away, but ‘ere I see She’s my Haida G-wa-ii Out on the edge of the earthly world Stands an island faith unfurled Where the raven teaches youth [While the eagle speaks his truth] When a wise one sails for thee From his chains he must cut free Then in his heart, he shall foresee The lessons told near the totem tree Near the totem tree, Haida Gwaii And when I lay my body down I will sing in silent sound Sacred ground shall mother me [On my Haida G-wa-ii] Chorus /Coda: Near the totem tree, HG...
2.
Freedom Girl 02:55
I’m alone with you again, time that I do love to spend. I can’t have you all the time. Freedom Girl won’t you be mine. Like a white bird in the sky, you still keep me flyin’ high I can see my paradise, when I gaze into those eyes. I wanna stay in touch with you, too many midnights feelin’ blue Can’t you work in out some how, I want to be with you right now
3.
4.
There’s a ‘Lassie so fair, out there, somewhere With a heart wide open to view. She’s my warm, sweet friend, I’ll love ‘til the end Sharing peace, sharing dreams, being true. She runs with the wild wolves on the wide open plain They glide through the forest so free Dancing in moonlight, the starshine, and rain She harbours aurora for me. [So run with your wild wolves, my lassie, my love Run ‘til your dreams can come true. Run wit h Godspeed, and do what you need And my heart shall forever abide you]. Come what may, one day, I’ll travel with her No collars, no strings, and no pain To a land where horizons and human hearts stir And a timeless live will remain.
5.
Goin’ down to big-hog town, take my troubles away Make my pay on a sidewalk sound, take my music and play Ride my thumb and play my strum, I’ll be leavin’ today Have some fun and then I’m gone, lovers hear what I say. I’ll be free and the rest will see, I’ll be doin’ ok Stay in one place ain’t for me, livin’ tomorrow today. [Gotta be movin’ on, you know I can’t stay long So tell em’ I won’t be home…’til the fall] Make ‘em happy singin’ my song, take my music and play Keep on keepin’ on highway one, takes those troubles away Passin’ through, and I won’t be blue, I’ll just be on way See my view, its always new… tell my mom I’m ok.
6.
Its of a fair and handsome girl, she’s all in her tender years She fell in love with a sailor boy, and its true she loved him well For to go off to sea with him, like she did not know how She longed to see that seaport town, called Canadee-i-o So she bargained with a young sailor boy, sold for a piece of gold Straight way then, he led her, all down into the hold Saying I’ll dress you up in sailors clothes, your jacket shall be blue You’ll see that seaport town, called Canadee-i-o. Now when the other sailors heard the news, well they fell into a rage And with all the whole ships company, they were willing to engage Saying we’ll tie her hands and feet me boys, overboard we’ll throw her And she’ll never see that sea-port town, called Canadee-i-o Now when the captain, he heard the news, well he too fell in a rage And with all the whole ships company, he was willing to engage Saying she’ll stay on in sailor’s clothes, her collar shall be blue She’ll see that seaport town, called Canadee-i-o Now when they came down to Canada, scarce ‘bout half a year Well she’s married this bold captain, who calls her his dear She’s dressed in silks and satins now, and she cuts a gallant shawl She’s the finest of the ladies, down in Canadee-i-o Come all ye fair and tender girls, from where-ever you may be I’d have you to follow your own true love, when he goes out on the sea For if the sailors should prove false to you, well the captain he might prove true You see the honour that I have gained, by the wearin’ of the blue
7.
Ice and Fire 03:05
She is ice and she is fire, everything that I desire A promised land that is my home, warm and cool and not alone She appears in Angel’s arch, beneath her wings my captive heart Upon my soul she makes her mark, On this page an age will start. [Then her spirit carries me, nothing in the world can be She is all that I desire, she is ice and she is fire] Through her world she takes my dream, can’t explain what I have seen Falling, floating, rising higher. Cooling ice and tingling fire.
8.
Malcolm stood in the fence-wood goal, with catalogues on his shins 5-foot high were the banks that stalled the game when the puck went in Through the woods down to the river as a wester’ wind did blow And a well-worn wooden shovel sheered the ice from the fallen snow Skates tied on at the house porch, then slice down the old cow trail Pick your favourite stick but you best be quick or yours comes with a nail And ya’ better be fast on your feet or you’ll be head first for a ride Deke real grand or the old guys plant you face-washed on the side. Chorus: Pembina River shinny, see the lights of Pibroch town Pembina River shinny, folks from every farm around Ol’ time river hockey, hear the din from Dapp on down There’s rosie-red cheeks, and sparks in the eyes and I don’t recall a frown. No one knows why the girls wore white skates who cared anyway One side scored a dozen more but the next goal wins they’d say Ol’ Bill was the Black-toques’ captain, keepin’ time and referee Last-minute roared an hour or more and there wasn’t one penalty Repeat Chorus x2 Coda: And I don’t…recall…a frown!
9.
Verse 1: In the deep, where the tall ships sail Hear the choir, rock-a-by baby whales In the bright Canadian moon Hear the wolf gang lullaby lonely tunes Chorus: Because we care for what will be When we share our world is free And we try in nature’s way To abide her wisdom every day. Refrain: So fare-thee-well, young travellers, may your fortunes be clean May you marvel at the mountains, the wild rivers and the streams May you all be nature’s children in a world of blue and green *{And may you meet at Mother Earth Day in a hundred years again} Verse: In the wide Canadian sky Tell the wild geese, keep flyin’ high Where the golden prairies lie Hear the whoopers ancient cry Chorus Refrain (2)* {coda}
10.
As kids we’d climb high on the mountain Trails through trees, reach for the sky Then looking down our golden valley Feelin’ small, just you and I The king did call across the ocean All ye good men, freedom is nigh We’re marching on, faith and devotion Feelin’ tall, just don’t ask why. Chorus: (So)Take me back, (you big green) mountain (coda: memorial mountain) Take me home across the sea (coda: Back to my hills of Spallum’cheen) Just one more walk, before the snow falls (coda: down where the cross lies) And I shall have you there by me. She waits for me, home in the valley They pray for me, ‘ere I am gone We were good men, crossing that channel Thy will be done, daughter and son.
11.
Butterfly 04:13
Five o’clock in the morning, streets are still bare A handful of homeless, down on the square Warm wave of sunlight, the crowd is wired Girl looks to the heavens, a streetlight expires And a butterfly lands-on her hair The butterfly landed-on her hair Gridlock on the bridge, a siren’s alarm Another hot commute, this used to be a farm Nerves on the fumes rise, in the windshields glare Bus driver cracks a window, to get some air Then a butterfly lands on his arm Yea a butterfly landed on his arm Little butterfly, flew across a continent Transformed from just a little worm they say Is there a rhyme or a reason for a miracle Is there something in the air this day In the air this day Canadian Soldier in Afghanistan Can’t make up his mind is this a child or a man Small lad on a bicycle smiles and rides away Hot finger on the trigger time to breathe and to pray
12.
Where the whiskey runs in the late night sun and the drunk men scoff the law And a million buffalo, each one ton, I swear that’s what I saw We’re on our way all the long, long day, in a tandem column we ride My name is Cecil Denny, on a Percheron in stride…on the Queen Victoria side Chorus: Down a dusty trail of endless land, and the letter of law is in our hands We’re the scarlet horsemen’s pride, on the Queen Victoria side. Travelling north of the Medicine Line with the Sioux where the coulee’s wynd Chase American scum down to Fort Benton, dump the whiskey left behind, rotten whiskey l.b. And I saw Sitting Bull ride that night, everyone stopped and prayed And he spoke right out in Lakota tongue and {we knew he’d been betrayed} Hey-hey-ya, *Wik ak e’ sni Spoken: “The millions of Buffalo were wiped out… by hordes of American poachers, starving out the Sioux. Sitting Bull reluctantly returned to the American side on a promise of fair treatment. Soon after he was murdered by government hired guns-Indian Police drunkards. All we could do was shake our heads. The last man of truth was gone”. Hey-hey-ya, (Repeat Chorus) Now I watch the sun from Wood Mountain, where the Percheron’s tail no longer swayed… I had to put him down dear Lord, down like the buffalo, {On the Queen Victoria side}. Coda: {Hay-hay, ya} *Lakota term for traitor/liar
13.
Festival 03:16
She’s a drivin’ in, walkin’ down, parkin’ lot conversation See the gate guy volunteers pourin’ on the admiration She’s got her wrist band on, hears her favourite song. Late last night told her daddy she’s gone… To the festival Ya the festival She’s so beautiful At the festival She’s dancing 10 feet out from the wedges and the music is fine Hips and hands for the band marchin’ choo-choo on the prancin’ line It’s all jeans down low and tops tied high Everybody here knows how to fly Chorus: Refrain (she’s got her tall boots on) (hair in the breeze) (no she can’t go wrong) (doesn’t mean to tease) (she sings an ol’ time song) (She’s for sure the bee’s knees ) (dancin’ all night long) (boys learn to say please), ya… at the Festival (musical interlude) See the sun goes down but the girls get hotter at night Move the stage lights round cause she’s dancin’ in the pale moonlight

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released August 18, 2014

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John Spearn Edmonton, Alberta

You’ll instantly catch these deep influences threaded through John’s fine vocals, lyrics, and rootsy, guitar-mastered songwriting works. This is pure Canadiana: forgotten but deserving heroes, the humility in our international image, and a superb range of tender ballads through to raw, foot-stompin’ stories that need to be told. ... more

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