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The West Beyond The West

by Great Lonely Wild

supported by
Joe Rapley
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Joe Rapley Some beautiful songs from a trio of lovely (they signed my CD!) Canadian grrls. Please have a listen if you like The Be Good Tanya's and The Wailin' Jenny's. Favorite track: Haul Away Joe (traditional).
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1.
Late in the freasing of the middle of the night We were waiting for the moonrise to begin the journey right We set out as the frost laid heaviest on the ground Departed from the mountain house with bales of ninety pound Soon as the moon reached its summit that night The storming began and kept on ‘til daylight We walked as blind men stumbling all along the way but We made rocky mountain portage afore dawn still that day On down the Parnsip we tarried on our way As far as the river reached we followed in its trail We came across a man wearing skins over his head He told us we were fools to take the river route instead We tried all the same to ride those bad river bights Wrestled with the whorls before we saw our plight They were laughing from the shores as we made it up the bank T’was no rocky mountain portage but we made it all the same Late in the morning we were ordered all ashore We were led up to a ladder, like a pole, to help us o’er Scaling up the rocky walls we held on for our lives At the mercy of those mountaineering men that we relied The footpaths were impressed as well as any highway Our guide said he took the path at least twice a day Still I did not lose my footing, no, not once along that way I’d make rocky mountain portage stead of that, any day Those were the hours we could barely breathe Those were the days we were too tired to see Wrestling against the river runs of those woods I’d make that rocky mountain portage yet again, if I could
2.
In The West 03:21
In the east I am a mere beggar-man I can barely find a roof over my head I can find no one to hear the counsel I would give of a land they do not know In the west I was a peacemaking man A willing servant to the ways of the wild They all knew me and they all knew of me That I could find a home in every hill Oh, the way the world turns, the way it goes Oh, we make our way forward, the best we know In the east I am a lonely solitary Figure of a man who was I don’t understand our ways and customs anymore Than I know what lies above In the west I was a stargazer I had the company of skies I knew so well Every step I took was one step further Than my people ever did before In the west there is a mountainous impasse Guarded by six meter of snow Few have ever seen it, fewer still have crossed it But the way across I know In the west there is a great forest Filled with tree proportions never seen before Barren wilderness as far as the eye can see And this wilderness I know Oh, we’ve both forgotten and have been forgot Oh, we’ve both passed o’er and have been passed o’er
3.
I’d been warned of where I was headed A fool to leave my countrymen For the icy woods of the western barrens For the frozen tundra hinterland But oh, for the feel of the wind biting through me Oh, for the brush with lonely death Ne’er an eye has seen such longing That could drive a man to so vast a wild ‘Neath the shadow of treacherous mountains Untamed frontier, barely touched A home I find among faithful adversity A home to satisfy a wanderer’s lust But oh, for the glance of a wild eye watching Oh, for the tree’s heavy shudder and sigh I’ve driven a stake, a steel jaw round me I’ve driven a stake to fetter me fast I have an unfeeling numb in my fingers I bear a wanton pulse in my blood The foreign tongues bid me due warning Of winter’s hard and unfaltering stare But oh, for the view from the peaks of mountains Oh, for the misty veil at dawn Ne’er could I have known the depths of Caledonia’s great lonely wild No one knows what I carry with me No one has seen my frozen heart I’ve buried it ‘neath a brow desideratum I’ve buried it à la façon du pays
4.
Wood in the water, there’s sand in the hole There’s wood in the water, there’s sand in the hole It’s clear on the rud bank, boom’s got your back All clear on the rud bank, boom’s got your back The river’s as good as any home Night’s gonna rock us to sweet shores We keep on moving with the fell tree trail and the water flow So long as skid road keeps on rolling Crib rocking heavy, wind from below Crib’s rocking heavy, wind’s coming from below Tighten up the fore lines, let ‘er shoot the hill Tighten up the fore lines, better let ‘er shoot the hill Basin in the offing, floodplains up the way The basin’s in the offing, there be floodplains up the way Float timbre offshore, let’s get ‘er on home Float timbre offshore, yeah, let’s get ‘er on home
5.
When I was a little lad and so me mother told me Way, haul away, we’ll haul away Joe! If I did not kiss the gals me lips would grow all moldy Way, haul away, we’ll haul away Joe! Way, haul away, the good ship is a-bolding Way, haul away, we’ll haul away Joe! Way, haul away, the sheet is now unfolding Way, haul away, we’ll haul away Joe! Once I was in Ireland a’digging turf and taties Way, haul away, we’ll haul away Joe! But now I’m on an English ship a’hauling at the braces Way, haul away, we’ll haul away Joe! I ran away from Galway town and shipped aboard a whaler Way, haul away, we’ll haul away Joe! Because the gal I courted there would only have a sailor Way, haul away, we’ll haul away Joe! Way haul away, we’ll haul for better weather Way haul away, we’ll haul away Joe! Way haul away, we’ll haul away together Way haul away, we’ll haul away Joe! King Louis was the king of France before the revolutae-on Way, haul away, we’ll haul away Joe! Then he got his head cut off which spoiled his constitutae-on Way, haul away, we’ll haul away Joe! Once I was a city lad a’weavin’ through the hackneys Way, haul away, we’ll haul away Joe! But now I’m on a trading ship a’bound for the colonies Way, haul away, we’ll haul away Joe!
6.
Black Lament 05:06
Underneath the breakers there lies a deep vast hole It turns all the grass to dust and the sky it deftly shoals It swallows up the sunlit hours and chews up a man’s soul Underneath the breakers I want no more to go Through the threshold of the slope, there lies a dark labyrinth It reaches a winding trail through the stark coal plinths It has no end for the miner’s pick nor the state in which he’s in Through the threshold of the slope I will not enter in Oh, in the colliery, the black is what I’m told Oh, in the colliery, the black I dare not go A hundred fifty men they lie in the caves of Wellington A hundred fifty boys and men never see the light o’ day again Down the levels of the shaft the garish cage descends Into the depths of the earth where darkness never ends On the feeble light of lanterns hung our frail steps depend Down the levels of the shaft I will not further wend Out from the gangway the coal seam roads run Where the black dust covers all and settles in the lungs No lye can purge the body of the pitch and what it duns Out from the gangway I will not venture from Deep in the broaden breasts the dynamite is laid The weight of lives are held by pillars easily forayed And the afterdamp will care not for the years your life outstayed Deep in the broaden breasts I will not ever stray
7.
Lady Fortune 04:17
Lady Fortune’s calling There’s gold in them hills and in every river too The folks down south are rushing The fever’s in my head and hammering at my door The mountain’s coming down now and Johnny’s on the run He’s losing his mind The prospect’s unforgiving Be wary ye of unbelief: there’s riches for ye that can dig None ain’t ever seen such lustrous dregs None would e’er believe such pure western bullion The cost o’ gold is rising The beneficiation’s cheap and there’s more to be found And Johnny didn’t he make it Made well staking his claim and marked what he paid for by blood The land is worth its weight and you’ll be getting your vein too This bender won’t last long The prospect’s looking good boys Be wary ye of little faith: there’s riches for ye that can wait
8.
Baby And Me 03:15
I wandered up the hill Where we used to, Johnny, where we used to go I wandered past the mill Where we sat, Johnny, where we stayed, Johnny, still They didn’t believe one word Not a word from me, Johnny, not a word of my mouth They could not see the worth In a half breed, Johnny, in a half breed girl Only me and the babe, only me and the babe I could not get my fill of those deep blue, Johnny, those eyes so blue I could not keep you still On the grass so, Johnny, on the green grass hill I knew you couldn’t stay You’re too quick for it, Johnny, you’re not from this place You had to go away You left me here, Johnny, you left me, aye There’s a fire that doesn’t die It’s got too much to feed on, too much heat It lets me sleep at night And wakes me first thing in the morning light I wander past there still Where we used to, Johnny, where we used to go They’re a tearing up that mill Where we used to, Johnny, where I sometimes still
9.
Confessions 05:00
It wasn’t right, it wasn’t wrong Oh, the strength of the headstrong Kept underfoot, a half decade long Oh, the faith to prolong Oh, we were deaf, we were blind to our crimes Oh, we stood by while the peace took to slide We will all die in our time We will all hang for our crimes Oh, how can I divine In the dead of night, by my failing sight For between us is a mountain range Is an ocean wide, is an ocean Over my dead hide, the river people taken by night Over my dead mind, the river people betrayed in plain sight Oh we’re walking on weak clay All the people are dying from our malaise The disease, the contempt and the rape And the killing, the killing, the killing How can anyone sufficedly pay? In the woods we’ve wove inside Beneath the lichen underside Over the same rocks we all have climbed Under our shared northern sky I know it won’t save my soul I know it won’t make anyone whole Theirs is still a place I can never go Theirs is still a people I can never truly know

credits

released November 9, 2012

All songs written and performed by Great Lonely Wild with the exception of Haul Away Joe, a traditional song arranged and performed by Great Lonely Wild (last verse written by Great Lonely Wild). All songs recorded and mixed by Chris Jaggers. Album mastered by Graemme Brown at Zen Mastering. Cover photograph obtained from the City of Vancouver Archives and is in the public domain.

Acknowledgements
Thanks to our families for their endless and unwavering support that made this project possible. Thanks to Chris Jaggers for his creative input and for help with percussion, to Ashley Culver for her support of our vision, to our housemates for hosting countless band practices, and to Joe Heikman and Mike Bartel Sawatzky for gang vocals. And finally we would like to recognize the individuals whose stories provided the inspiration for this project.

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Great Lonely Wild Vancouver, British Columbia

Original roots and folk music about the 19th Century Pacific Northwest.

The sounds of mandolin, banjo, concertina, violin, guitar and vocal harmonies will expose you to the tales and stories of those who came before us in Canada's West. ... more

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