1. The Cuckoo
Ahh the cuckoo she's a pretty bird and she warbles as she flies
She doesn't sing cuckoo till the fourth day of delight
Gonna build me a log cabin on a mountain so high
I can see William as he wanders by
Jack o' diamonds jack o' diamonds I know you of old
You're gonna rob my poor pockets of my silver and gold
And I gambled in England and I gambled down in Spain
And I bet you five dollars that I beat you this game
Oh the cuckoo she's a pretty bird and I wish she was mine
She doesn't drink water she only drinks wine
Oh the cuckoo she's a pretty bird and she warbles as she flies
No she doesn't sing cuckoo till the fourth day of delight
2. Queen May
Down in yon forest there stands a hall
It's guilded over with purple and pall
Under that hall is a gushing flood
Half run in water half run in blood
Oh oh oh sing May Queen May
Oh oh oh sing Mary Queen May
Oh oh oh sing May Queen May
Oh oh oh sing Mary Queen May
Down in that hall there lay a bed
Scarlett the cover that over it spread
All on that bed a young knight sleeps
His wounds are sick and see he weeps
Oh oh oh sing May Queen May
Oh oh oh sing Mary Queen May
Oh oh oh sing May Queen May
Oh oh oh sing Mary Queen May
Down at the bedfeet there grows a thorn
It blooms its white blossom since the day he was born
Oh oh oh sing May Queen May
Oh oh oh sing Mary Queen May
Oh oh oh sing May Queen May
Oh oh oh sing Mary Queen May
Oh oh oh sing May Queen May
Oh oh oh sing Mary Queen May
3. Nature Waking
As I walked out one May morning
I heard a tune the songbird sings
When I looked up the bird had flown
But in my mind the seed was sown
As I walked on the flowers sang
In Hilly Fields the bluebells rang
With baritones of English oak
And muddy bass from April soak
A choral treat from up above
The feathered choir could feel the tug
Of gravity upon their wings
And down below newborns sing
I felt the breeze and then the sun
My senses sharp I had begun
To be a part of everything
Summer Fall Winter Spring
As I walked out one May morning
I heard a tune the songbird sings
When I looked up the bird had flown
But in my mind the seed was sown
As I walked out
As I walked out
As I walked out
As I walked out
4. Fishes
Down down the fishes go
Down down the fishes go
Gonna miss that slipstream water flow
Round round the birds did fly
Round round the birds did fly
Nowhere to live in the sky
Home home the bees did try
Home home the bees did try
Their senses shot from pesticides
You know for what it's worth
They tried to save the earth
Mankind and all your power
Mankind and your desire
There's nothing left to acquire
No one to live your lies
No one to sacrifice
Nothing to sell nothing to buy
You know for what it's worth
They tried to save the earth
You know for what it's worth
They tried to save the earth
Down down the fishes go
Down down the fishes go
Gonna miss that slipstream water flow
Round round the birds did fly
Round round the birds did fly
Nowhere to live in the sky
5. Jonny's War
Jonny came home from his war today
His war today his war today
He felt so mad he felt so mad
But he wouldn't tell a soul he hurt so bad
Jonny was a man who loved his wife
He loved his child he loved his life
But the pain inside was far too strong
Far too strong to carry on
He looked so well you couldn't tell
His mind became a living hell
A battle that could not be won
And deep inside he felt so numb
Oh Jonny
Oh Jonny's war
Oh Jonny
Oh Jonny's war
Jonny came from his work today
His work today oh what a day
He was so fine yesterday
Yesterday was a really good day
Suffering is not so clear
Not so clear not so clear
It's not the same as feeling down
As feeling down doesn't stick around
Oh Jonny
Oh Jonny's war
Oh Jonny
Oh Jonny's war
Oh Jonny
Oh Jonny's war
Oh Jonny
Oh Jonny's war
6. Jesus' Crooked Shadow
dododododododo
Are ô
Are ô
dododododododo
Jesus' crooked shadow in the park at 10
Little girl playin' in the graveyard again
Hearts still beatin' lyin' in his shade
Broken souls diggin' too many graves
dododododododo
Are ô
Are ô
dododododododo
Dark leaves fallin' in the autumn change
Little boy playin' in the house of pain
Find peace livin' in a seaside town
Hope you got away like a fox from the hounds
Timendi causa est nescire (ignorance is the cause of fear)
Timendi causa est nescire (ignorance is the cause of fear)
Are ô
Are ô
The narcissist who wouldn't be told
A legacy of terror for the young and the old
Little girl playin' in the peaceful rain
Training her dreams to be born again
Timendi causa est nescire
Timendi causa est nescire
7. Three Cries
My mother was an honest girl, from Dublin she did hale
She never spoke of troubled times and the things she saw in jail
A general climbed down from his horse, a man whom she would meet
Her crime was throwing leaflets from a pillar on O'Connell Street
One cry for freedom
One for human rights
One cry for freedom
One in the cold of night
She was told to sign a declaration and he would let her go
If she never spoke of freedom, her answer would be no
She served her time in Mountjoy, her principles she held dear
And witnessed the atrocities becoming all too clear
One cry for freedom
One for human rights
One cry for freedom
One in the cold of night
A young girl's fight for decency
Her story can relate
To the power, greed and injustice
The common human traits
One cry for freedom (and the auld triangle)
One for human rights (went jingle-jangle)
One cry for freedom (alll along the banks)
One in the cold of night (of the Royal Canal)
And the auld triangle went jingle-jangle
All along the banks of the Royal Canal
And the auld triangle went jingle-jangle
All along the banks of the Royal Canal
And the auld triangle went jingle-jangle
All along the banks of the Royal Canal
8. When Summers Stood Still
I've had some time now the future's come
The river still glistens in the mid-day sun
Like cotton bud clouds i float with ease
Like blossom i drift in the evening breeze
My thoughts go back to my childhood ways
When summers stood still in a dreamlike haze
We played in parks till the dusk of night
With nothing to fear in the bright moonlight
Oh oh i finally see it's not all about me
Oh oh i finally see it's not all about me
Now's the time i'll find my way
No more the worrier of things i can't change
I'll raise a glass to the setting sun
And drink a toast to all my loved ones
Oh oh i finally see it's not all about me
Oh oh i finally see it's not all about me
Oh oh i finally see it's not all about me
9. Nursery Rhyme No.9
I can see the flowers the flowers in the rain
Wonder if they have the same flowers in Spain
I can see the bees the bees and the plants
Wonder if they have the same bees in France
I can see the leaves the leaves and the trees
Wonder if they have the same trees in Germany
I can see the birds the birds in the sky
If i was a bird i would fly fly fly
hmmm hmmm hmmm
I can see the earth from outer space
Wonder what will happen to the human race
Notes:
All lyrics written by Ged Flood except -
The Cuckoo - traditional English folk song. (Roud 413).
Queen May - verse lyrics taken from the Christmas carol - Corpus Christi Carol (c. 1504).
Are ô (in Jesus' Crooked Shadow) is an African tribal chant. Timendi causa est nescire (ignorance is the cause of fear) ~Seneca (Lucius Annaeus Seneca
(often known simply as Seneca, or Seneca the Younger)
(c. 4 BC – 65 AD)) was a Roman Stoic philosopher, statesman, dramatist, and in one work humorist, of the Silver Age of Latinliterature. He was tutor and later advisor to emperor
Nero.
Three Cries features The Auld Triangle (Dicky Shannon).