For Peat’s Sake
Released Feb 7th, 2020!

The Stamping Grounds – Lyrics by Rory and Malcolm MacDonald
April comes to new grass on the hills of gold
Tha feur ùr air bàrr an talaimh, bàrr an talaimh, horribh ò
Where winter falls in the long cold north, black waters wait in ice and snow
Tha feur ùr air bàrr an talaimh, bàrr an talaimh, horribh ò
Black waters wait in ice and sun through the glens where your great rivers run.

Back on the stamping ground, to where it all began
Back on the stamping ground, we come again.

So we tend and we nurture all the seeds we’ve sown
Tha feur ùr air bàrr an talaimh, bàrr an talaimh, horribh ò
Through the frost and rain the west winds blow, ‘til the fields turn ripe and the harvest stored
Tha feur ùr air bàrr an talaimh, bàrr an talaimh, horribh ò
Through the frost and rain the west winds send, we’ll wait here till the winter’s end
Chorus

So it’s blood on blood, our bond, our word
Tha feur ùr air bàrr an talaimh, bàrr an talaimh, horribh ò
For the strength and weakness of our days is to take you there on a journey shared
Tha feur ùr air bàrr an talaimh, bàrr an talaimh, horribh ò
So take this thing, make it sparkle and glow, it’s much greater than we may ever know
Chorus

P Stands for Paddy – Traditional lyrics, last verse by Rachel Sulik
As I went out on a bright morning to take a pleasant walk
I sat down by an old oak tree to hear two lovers talk
For to hear two lovers talk, my love, to hear what they might say
That I might know a little more, love, before I go away

P it stands for Paddy, I suppose; J for my love, John
W stands for the false Willy-O, But Johnny is the fairest man
“Johnny is the fairest man,” she said, “Johnny is the fairest man
I don’t care what anybody says, for Johnny is the fairest man.”

”Well, sit ye on the grass” he said, “Together on the green
’Tis a long three quarters of a year or more since together we have been
Since together we have been, my love, together we have been
’Tis a long three quarters of a year or more since together we have been.”
Chorus

”Oh I’ll not sit beside you, love, now or any other time
For I hear you’re in love with another fair chav and your heart’s no longer mine
“And your heart’s no longer mine” she said, “Your heart’s no longer mine
I don’t care what anybody says, your heart’s no longer mine.”
Chorus

“So keep your false tokens of love and keep your tales tall,
For if I can’t have a man who’s true I’ll have no one at all
I’ll have no one at all,” she said, “I’ll have no one at all
Better I’d be with none than ye so I’ll have no one at all.”
Chorus

Bedlam Boys – Traditional lyrics, arranged/rewritten by Rachel Sulik
To see Mad Tom of Bedlam ten thousand miles I’ve traveled
Mad Maudlin goes on dirty toes to save her shoes from gravel

Still I sing bonny boys, bonny mad boys, Bedlam boys are bonny
For they have no care and they live by the air and they want no drink nor money.

By night with ghost and shadow I summoned am to tourney
And though I go ten thousand miles to me it is no journey
Chorus

The moon’s a constant lantern, its light to blithely borrow
The snowy drake and the night crow make me music for my sorrow
Chorus

To find my Tom of Bedlam ten thousand miles I’ll travel
Mad Maudlin goes on dirty toes to save her shoes from gravel
Chorus

Caledonia – lyrics by Dougie Maclean
I don’t know if you can see the changes that have come over me
These past few days I’ve been afraid that I might drift away
I’ve been telling stories, singing songs, that make me think about where I’ve come from
That’s the reason why I seem so far away today

Let me tell you that I love you and I’m thinking of you all the time
Caledonia’s calling, now I’m going home
But if I should become a stranger, know that it would make me more than sad
Caledonia’s been everything I’ve ever had

I have moved and kept on moving, proved the points that I needed proving
Lost the friends that I needed losing, found others on the way
I have tried and kept on trying, stolen dreams, yes there’s no denying
Traveled hard with conscience flying somewhere in the wind
Chorus

Now I’m sitting here before the fire, the empty room, the forest choir
The flames have died, they won’t get higher, they’ve withered now, they’ve gone
But I’m steady thinking, my way is clear and I know what I will do to-morrow
When hands have shaken and kisses fly then I will disappear
Chorus

Lost Little Children – Lyrics by Tim O’Brien
Where are my mama and daddy? They came a long time before me,
Now we’ve come on the steamship Atlantic from our home far across the stormy sea

I have their letter in my pocket, they said we would meet on the pier
But the day it is now almost over and the darkness and cold soon draw near

Will they know their lost little children as they look for my face in the crowd?
It’s been so long since they’ve seen me and I wonder if they’ll know me now

We gave them, our four pounds and twenty, one last look at that green rocky shore
And they told us the new world has plenty but we’d never see Sligo anymore
Chorus

Hold to my hand little brother, be brave and please try not to cry
For we have a good father and mother and soon we’ll be safe by their side
Chorus

Away – Lyrics by Rachel Sulik
Born of the burren, this heather’s all I’ve known
The curlew’s cry my lullaby, this turf is in my bones
But times have changed, so must I – there’s nothing left to save
The sun has set on our homeland, I’m bound to sail away

Away, away… I’m bound to sail away.

The prataí all are blackened and the livestock’s been sold
And our oat and corn shipped away to keep our house and home
There’s plenty of work to break your back but never enough pay
It’s America or die, my lads, I’m bound to sail away
Chorus

The new country has treasures and sorrows both in turn
But a man can make his living there and still have coal to burn
The only hope that I have left is anchored in the bay
So fare thee well, tír mo chroí, I’m bound to sail away
Chorus

Crooked Jack – Lyrics by Dominic Behan
Come Irishmen both big and stern with adventure in your soul
There are better ways to spend your days than in working down a hole

I was tall and true, all of 6-foot-2, but they broke me across the back
By a name I’m known and it’s not my own, they call me Crooked Jack

The ganger’s blue-eyed boy was I, Big Jack could do no wrong
And the reason simply was because I could work hard hours long
Chorus

Well I curse the day that I went away to work on the hydro dams
For sweat and tears our hopes and fears caught up in shuttering jambs
Chorus

I’ve seen men old before their time, their faces drawn and gray
I never thought so soon would mine be lined in the self same way
Chorus

They say that honest toil is good for the spirit and the soul
But believe me boys it’s for sweat and blood that they launch you down a hole
Chorus