Eliza Skelton

 

All songs written by Eliza Skelton except ‘O Willow Waly’ by George Auric and Paul Dehn.  

Eliza Skelton, vocals, acoustic guitars, ukelele mandolin, flute, piano, keyboards, glockenspiel & cardboard box.

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Special thanks to Abra & Scott, Joe & Kirsty, Molly Martha, Simon Walker, Ed Bear, Toby, Dave, Alistair, Doug, Ben, Jim, Nick & Kate & Lemon, Emma Papper, Nick Saloman, Gary Urwin and Nick Green.

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Deepest thanks to Paul, Mum & Dad, Sam & Simon, Gabi & Tom, Jordan Ella, and Jane Bom-Bane for their inspiration and unswerving support.

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Above Whitehawk Hill

(for Mum)

If I lay myself down on the hill by my house

can I leave my body behind

and will I float above Whitehawk Hill

while the earth turns around and around

oh mother my heart is filled with darkness
and mother your heart is filled with kindness
And will I grow wings as my poor body melts
and fly to the tops of the clouds
Or build my nest on the highest tree branch

to call the sun to the ground

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When you stand beside me

we can drive the darkness from me

for you illuminate

 

And if I sink to the grass and stay here

let my lungs feel heavy and old

I could take photographs of seagulls in flight

watch the light turn their feathers to bone

oh mother my heart is filled with darkness

dear mother your heart is filled with kindness

 

Will you stand beside me

we can drive the darkness from me

for you illuminate

 

Drums: Jim White

Bass & electric guitar: Paul Simmons

Violin: Simon Walker

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One Daughter  

(for Sam, Gabi and Ella)

Long winter lift my feet

pitch the seed under Ailim

grow, grow, grow

long the autumn nights

come the Ring Ouzel from the hills

carrying one daughter

then two can sing

 

Long winter lift my feet

pitch the seed under Ailim

grow, grow, grow

long the winter nights

come the Sanderling from the sea

carrying one daughter

then three can sing

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Guest vocals: (in order of appearance)

Hilary Skelton

Gabi Woollgar

Ella Woollgar

Sam Skelton

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Laika

(for Ella)

I hold her and I’m like Laika

I see the earth rolling, slow

and know the orbit of my heart

 

Laika knew the stars

and I can’t be frightened

if she holla’s and hauls me

throws me into the sky

those darkling skies close over

and collapsing eyes let go the earth

Like Laika like Lisichka, Damka ,

Malyshka, ZIB Otvazhnaya, Tsyeganka,

Bars, Kresavka Albina ,

Schnezhinka, Tsygan, Smelaya Ryzhik,

Lisa, Pchyolka, Mushka  

like Zhuchka, Zhuchka, Zhuchka, Zhuchka

Limonchik, Laika, Zhuchka, Zhuchka

Dochka, Dochka, Dochka Devotchki

Laika, Laika, Laika

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Drums: Jim White

Bass and electric guitar: Paul Simmons

Additional  keyboards: David Bramwell

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Curlew

(For Jordan and Pops)

Under a mackerel sky a curlew in flight

can we be caught in one birds eye

racing the watercourse

and how is the air how is the air up there?

 

Birds on the riverside (birds on the river)

know what the flowing course hides

they cast a shadow from the sky (under the shadows of Beech trees)

Alders and Birch and Willow (and Oak and Ash)

how is the air how is the air up there?  

 

And there, the warm light dives down

through feathers on wings tips

and dances between leaves

to break the black water

and light up scales and ferns and shingle stone

and open eyes, and open eyes and wide open eyes

 

Guest vocals: Jordan Woollgar & Gabi Woollgar

Drums: Toby Visram

Bass guitar: Paul Simmons

Electric guitars: Paul Simmons & Jordan Woollgar

Acoustic guitars: Edward (Bear) Drew

Violin: Simon Walker

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O Willow Waly

 We lay my love and I

beneath the weeping willow

but now alone I lie

and weep beside the tree

singing O Willow waly

by the tree that weeps for me

singing O Willow waly

‘til my lover returns to me

 

We lay my love and I

beneath the weeping willow

but now alone I lie

O Willow I die

O Willow I die

 

Electric guitar: Paul Simmons

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The Lookerer

Each cold morn the Lookerer’s

counting the beasts counting the sheep

tell the shepherd, Lookerer

which one is lost and which one to keep.

 

The sea is gold

The sea is gold

 

From the ridge the Lookerer

watches the fog settle and swell

all the fields under cover

all of the sheep buried and quelled

The sea is gold The sea is gold

Marking time the Lookerer

waits out the sun warming the day

though the fog burned to nothing

it cradled the flock and stole them away

 

The sheep are gone

The sheep are gone

The sea is gold

 

Violins & Viola: Nick Pynn

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The Serenade Of Rough Music

 If you were a river, you’d flow like the sea

and churn up the banks and kill all of the sheep

that stand by the water and mind their own business

and quietly bleat that the river is rising

if you were a river

 

If you were the wasteland on the edge of the city

you’d creep into side streets and cover the pavement

with dust and with rubbish abandoned by people

who thought that the point of you

was to be dumped on

if you were the wasteland

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You were a river

 

If you were a song, no one would sing it

no one would hear it you’d lie in an old drawer

left out for the bin men and hedgehogs would eat you

until you were just some remains of their vomit

forsaken in woodlands encroached on by housing

and railways and road works and rivers and wasteland

if you were a song

if you were a river

You were a river,  you were a  river     

 

Drums: Toby Visram

Bass guitar: Paul Simmons

Electric Guitar: Jordan Woollgar

Trumpet:  Alistair Strachan

Saxophone: Doug Cave

Additional keyboards: Simon Walker

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Time Traveller

Her second skin, kissing him, running wild

roots of a vine, sweet caress, strangling

my love comes from empty lands

where he lays me down in deep blue skies

cameras work, stopping time, brightening

her delicate skin, leaning in, kissing him

and my love pours out wine

my love travels through time

my love pours out

 

roots of a vine, strangling, holding on

an ordinary day, passing by, pressing down

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if I wore a second skin if I could travel through space

if I had a train that flew through time I’d ride back to him

he’d lay me down in blue skies in empty lands

and there my love pours out wine

and my love pours out

 

If I wore a second skin if I could travel l through space

if I had a train that flew through time I’d ride back

 

Vibraphone: Ben George

 

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We’re The Wild Dogs

(for Sam)

You are the queen

I’m floating around you

a depth submarine

I still haven’t found you

you say you’ve done wrong

and you make people hate you

if you think you’re bad

you should see my head lately

 

I’m lost in the woods

been raised by a wolf pack

if you said my name

you would remember

I’ve been here before

I’ve been round the houses

you’ve been on my mind

for hundreds and thousands of years

 

I’ve been so tired

and you’ve been so angry

and I’ve been too slow

got no wits about me

you’re a broken machine

on a wilderness level

but my head's in the clouds

so I can watch you forever

You’re lost on the sea

and run out of water

If you heard my name

you would remember

you’ve been here before 

been all round the houses

you’ve been on my mind

for hundreds and thousands of years

 

We’re the wild dogs

we’re hunting and howling

you are the queen

and I float around you

We’re lost on the moor

the beast is behind us

it whispers my name

so we can remember

we’ve been here before

we’ve been round the houses

you’ve been on my mind

for hundreds and thousands of years

 

Drums: Jim White

Bass: Paul Simmons

Acoustic guitars: Jordan Woollgar

Violin: Simon Walker  

Guest ‘wild dog’ vocals: (in order of appearance)

Ella Woollgar

Jordan Woollgar

Sam Skelton

Hilary Skelton

Gabi Woollgar

Abra Thompson

Paul Simmons

Tom Donald

Molly Thompson

Joe Thompson

Ernie the pug

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