Lyrics
Turf - 1994 - Tracklist
1. Cold Comfort
2. True Blue
3. Diamond Mountain
4. Right Here, Right Now
5. Sunny Sailor Boy*
6. Black Is The Colour*
7. To Begin To
8. Freedom Song
9. Holding Back The River
10. Background Noise
11. The Fertile Rock
12. I Did Time
13. Sanctuary
* Song not written by Luka Bloom
1Cold Comfort
In days of grace this journey's a thrill to me
The New York City skyline takes me in
People at the station look and sometimes say to me,
"You never had it so easy,
Taking in the world with your guitar,
You never had it so easy ..."
I swear that's cold comfort
On a freezing New York night
Without my baby
It's bitter sweet - new music, new faces
There's always someone missing from the scene
It's late at night, somebody from home says,
"You never had it so easy,
Taking in the world with your guitar,
You never had it so easy ..."
I swear that's cold comfort
On a freezing New York night
Without my baby
2.True Blue
True blue before sunrise,
I'm so happy here with you
Following slow tides,
I'd go anywhere with you.
Blue light through my window,
Blue light fills my room
I lie here in blue heaven,
I'd go anywhere with you.
Dreamboat,
Take me away
Dreamboat,
Before the day break's noises
Blue fades with voices.
True blue before sunrise,
Beautiful upon my pillow
Still and so world wise,
I'd go anywhere with you.
True blue before sunrise
Sweet dreams, baby
Sweet dreams, baby
Sweet dreams, baby
3.Diamond Mountain
Voices cry out, shells of houses
White-faced children, hungry eyes
The cruel sea calls the unwilling traveller
Who would look for the road to survival
Hold my hand a little longer
Take one last look out over the fields
To the reds and the browns of Diamond Mountain
Bring the smell and the sound to your station
I will be here when you need me
I will be here in the pouring rain
I will be here on Diamond Mountain
They bring their song line to Australia
Scattering magical airs, cities, towns
The dreaming road to Diamond Mountain
An ordinary wonder on the heather ground
Hold my hand a little longer
Take one last look out over the fields
To the reds and the browns of Diamond Mountain
Bring the smell and the sound to your station
He kisses his love, Diamond Mountain
The mad wind whistles, bushes, stones
Like two March swallows back on the mountain
Come full circle at last, heaven is home
4.Right Here, Right Now
I just don't believe in this world full of sorrow
To suffer for something that's better tomorrow
Counting our sins on the path of forgiveness
Hoping we're heard by a merciful witness
We race around looking for brilliance in the world
In the darkness we cry out for light in the world
And the last place we're looking for love in the world
Is right here, right now
See what I have been, I condemn it to laughter
Leave to the sages my status hereafter
If anybody says I exist in denial
So be it, we'll see when we all are on trial
I'm bidding farewell to the ritual chores
Condemning ourselves or counting old scores
I'm opening windows and kicking down doors
Breathing fresh air into orifices and pores
Right here, right now
Two lovers together out walking the road
Two hearts complementing, but feeling the load
Scarred by the wounds of the passions we've known
Something to share, uncertain we've grown
The turf is all gone and the fire is dim
Another day certain that love cannot win
Finally calling on powers within
Right here, right now
We go down to where we hold each other
Precious moment, simply lovers now
Right here, right now
I just don't believe in this world full of sorrow
7.To Begin To
Blue, to begin to,
Blue, such a warm feeling.
Wednesday night in a town called Prosperous
In the summer of 1972
A boy and a girl by an open fire embracing expectation
Looking for songs, songs
To begin to feel safe,
To begin to let go,
To begin to reach out,
To begin to touch,
Looking for songs to begin to,
Looking for songs to begin to,
Blue, to begin to,
Blue, such a warm feeling
I was in Paris then, made you feel at home
I was the river you escaped on
You were the pilot and you turned my plane around
We went to Amsterdam and toasted love songs
Looking for songs to begin to,
Looking for songs to begin to,
California ...
Blue, to begin to,
Blue, such a warm feeling.
Now a young man sits alone in a world of information
Still he ploughs the song fields looking for inspiration
Looking for songs, songs, songs
To begin to let go,
To begin to reach out,
To begin to touch,
To begin to sing,
Looking for songs to begin to,
Looking for songs to begin to,
Amelia ... California ...
Blue, to begin to,
Blue, such a warm feeling.
8.Freedom Song
With blisters on her feet, she walked the road each day
Montgomery, Alabama '55
Singing, "Justice is going to flow down like a river
Our children would no longer be deprived"
Rosa's heart was heavy, but she would never cry
For her people she would stand and hold the line
Armed with the power of songs and simply dignity
She swore, "The voice that would surrender won't be mine"
Woman singing a freedom song,
Woman showing us the way
Rosa never took that bus, but walked on through the rain
She prayed for the power to make her stand alone
Soon voices filled the streets from the county's back rooms
Spirits raised by the courage of just one
Rosa Parks had a dream and it lifted her
Of simply how much better life could be
She lit the flame and the fire is still burning
Inside every heart that's longing to be free
Woman singing a freedom song,
Woman showing us the way
Woman singing a freedom song,
I'd love to hear that voice today
With blisters on her feet, she moved from place to place
Outside Dublin city '81
Sick and tired of being a stranger in her own home
Where others had their comforts, she had none
They gave Nan Joyce's people 48 hours
To leave with their belongings once againg
But Nan Joyce had seen enough of these evictions
She dreaded facing the winter's wind and rain
All her life Nan faced fear and ignorance
Saw her loved ones turned away from countless doors
With ancient songs and tales around the warm fire
Spirits raised by the wealth of the travellers lore
Nan Joyce had a dream and it lifted her
She stood her ground and held her head on high
She found her voice and spoke out
So her children could be loved
As Irish brothers and sisters by and by
9.Holding Back The River
Like an arc, two lovers come
From their own place beneath the sun
That shines on individual souls
Feeds us, keeps each one of us whole
Two hearts don't beat as one
Each one listens to our own drum
Slowly we come to touch
To share the fruit we want so much
We have been holding back the river
We almost drowned before
But love has changed forever
It's taking prisoners no more
So we walk to the Grand Canal
A Dublin woman and a country pal
Where the city is such a perfect place
Swans glide in total grace
Kavanagh sits in a morning dream
Smiles at the familiar scene
Of your brown eyes, your red hair
Your voice so soft, your skin so fair
We have been holding back the river
We almost drowned before
But love has changed forever
It's taking prisoners no more
10.Background Noise
So another gun goes off -
Background noise
Two kids in a stolen car -
Background noise
A young man screams in the dead of the night -
Background noise
A family mourns by an early graveside -
Background noise
You hear the cries of the different sides
The bullet hits again
Take a look in anybody's eyes
Our tears are all the same
Our tears are all the same
No shattering explosion is
Background noise
A man or a woman's final words
Are more than background noise
The sound of somebody's breaking bones -
More than background noise
A mother's graceful words of mercy -
More than background noise
What the hell do I know -
Crying out for love
What the hell can I do -
Crying out for love
When every single child needs
To hear the voice of love
We all need a new speech -
The words of love
11.The Fertile Rock
In the flowering desert
Lies the heart and soul of man
Find a deep well to draw from
And give back as you can
In the moonlight musicians
Hear their tunes in the Burren wind
And in the shadows
Where an old faith's sheltered,
The painter's work begins
Footsteps, I could learn to listen
Footsteps, how I long to trace
Footsteps, I could learn to listen
To footsteps of an ancient race
The fertile rock ...
To the flowering desert
Roll the wheels of greed
Wells dry forever,
The orchid starts to bleed
Footsteps, I could learn to listen
Footsteps, how I long to trace
Footsteps, I could learn to listen
To footsteps of an ancient race
The fertile rock ...
Fertile rock
Ancient Place
Walk there, walk there
Footsteps
Ancient Place
Not for sale
Walk there, walk there
Fertile rock ...
12.I Did Time
What did you do inside?
I did time
What did you learn inside?
Precious time
Every book's a gift of gold,
You hang on every word
Every moment in the light,
You pray won't be disturbed
Every note of music is completely heard
Who was your friend inside?
Passing time
What was your dream inside?
The end of time
It's a tomb you lie in,
You know you cannot leave
So you learn to look inside to find the love you need
From your loneliness, sometimes reprieve
Many loved ones come and go,
They say I'm skin and bone
But in their eyes another world is mine to touch and own
That moment passes, once more I'm alone
What did you do inside?
I did time.
13.Sanctuary
It's so calm here on the Kildare fields
A shock to know how quickly time steals
I dreamed I stopped the sunrise that day
Stilled the breeze that carried you away
This loss is everywhere
I can touch and feel your light there
By the power of my desire
Be warmed and made secure
Sanctuary
Days and weeks go by - somehow
And I will leave daffodils where you lie now
In words that echo through the night
Sanctuary
An easy voice making everything all right
Sanctuary
This loss is everywhere
I can touch and feel your light there
By the power of my desire
Be warmed and made secure
Sanctuary
