The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #42500   Message #1865272
Posted By: GUEST,Andrew Wigglesworth
21-Oct-06 - 05:40 PM
Thread Name: Lyrics Correction: Joy of Living (Ewan MacColl)
Subject: Lyr Add: JOY OF LIVING (Ewan MacColl)
I've just looked at the transcription of the song "The Joy of Living", written by Ewan MacColl. It's a beautiful song, but completely ruined in the database by some whopping errors in the transcription.

Thanks to whoever tried to write it out, but this really should be corrected.

This is as it's in the database at the moment:


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JOY OF LIVING
(Ewan MacColl)

Farewell you northern hills, you mountains all goodbye
Moorland and stony ridges, cracks and peaks goodbye
Glidderfach farewell, Coolbegs go fell, cloud bearing Sulven
Sun warmed rock and the cold bleak close frozen sea
The snow and the wind and the rain of hills and mountains
Days in the sun and the tempered winds and the air likewise
And you drink and you drink till you're drunk
On the joy of living

Farewell to you my love, my time is almost done
Lie in my arms once more until the darkness comes
You filled all my days, held the night at bay, dearest companion
Years pass by and they come with the speed of birds in flight
Our live like the verse of a song heard in the mountains
Give me your hand and love and join your voice with mine
We'll sing of the hurt and pain
And the joy of living

Farewell to you my chicks, soon you must fly alone
Flesh of my flesh, my future life, bone of my bone
May your wings be strong, may your days be long, sure be your journey
Each of you bears inside of you the gift of love
May it bring you light and warmth and the pleasure of giving
Eagle is safer each new day on the taster of his mouth
Never lose sight of the thrill
And the joy of living

Take me to some high place of heather, rock and ley
Scatter my dust and ashes, feed me to the wind
So that I will be part of all you see, the air you are breathing
I'll be part of the curlew's cry and the soaring hawk
The bloom ilk ward and the sundew hung with diamonds
I'll be riding the gentle wind that blows through your hair
Reminding you how we shared
In the joy of living
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The mistakes make me cringe. I hope that no-one ever thinks Ewan actually wrote the song like that and starts singing those words.

Here's my corrected version - hopefully without any typo's :-/

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JOY OF LIVING
(Ewan MacColl)

Farewell you northern hills, you mountains all goodbye
Moorland and stony ridges, crags and peaks goodbye
Glyder Fach farewell, Cul Beag, Scafell , cloud bearing Suilven
Sun warmed rock and the cold of Bleaklow's frozen sea
The snow and the wind and the rain of hills and mountains
Days in the sun and the tempered wind and the air like wine,
And you drink and you drink till you're drunk
On the joy of living


Farewell to you my love, my time is almost done
Lie in my arms once more until the darkness comes
You filled all my days, held the night at bay, dearest companion
Years pass by and are gone with the speed of birds in flight
Our life like the verse of a song heard in the mountains
Give me your hand then love and join your voice with mine
We'll sing of the hurt and pain
And the joy of living

Farewell to you my chicks, soon you must fly alone
Flesh of my flesh, my future life, bone of my bone
May your wings be strong, may your days be long, safe be your journey
Each of you bears inside of you the gift of love
May it bring you light and warmth and the pleasure of giving
Eagerly savour each new day and the taste of its mouth
Never lose sight of the thrill
And the joy of living

Take me to some high place of heather, rock and ling
Scatter my dust and ashes, feed me to the wind
So that I will be part of all you see, the air you are breathing
I'll be part of the curlew's cry and the soaring hawk
The blue Milkwort and the Sundew hung with diamonds
I'll be riding the gentle wind that blows through your hair
Reminding you how we shared
In the joy of living

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Please, please, please can/will someone make the correction?