Lyr Req: White wings – The Johnson Girls

Subject: Lyr Req: White wings – The Johnson Girls
From: GUEST,Shelby H
Date: 08 Sep 24 - 04:42 PM

Like many Johnson Girls songs it does seem hard to find lyrics for them in the wider world. This is a beautiful song that they sing and when I search the name, there’s a few other different songs that come up, but none of them are the version they do. I’m wondering if anybody has already transcribed them. Also if anybody is good with chords, I would love to have that annotation, thanks.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: White wings – The Johnson Girls
From: Joe Offer
Date: 09 Sep 24 - 01:18 AM

Well, I found out the song is on the Johnson Girls 2004 CD, On the Rocks, Folk-Legacy CD-0133

I'm supposed to have that album, but I'll be darned if I can find it.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: White wings – The Johnson Girls
From: Reinhard
Date: 09 Sep 24 - 02:07 AM

Maybe it is this song? White Wings in a 2003 thread on "Old Girl Scout Songs".

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: White wings – The Johnson Girls
From: GUEST,Shelby h
Date: 12 Sep 24 - 08:49 PM

Yeah Joe, I think that’s the one I’m looking for. I was trying to write it down my self but there are a few lines I was not clear on so I that’s why I was hoping someone might have made an steps or better yet gotten it straight from the Johnson girls at one point.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: White wings – The Johnson Girls
From: Reinhard
Date: 13 Sep 24 - 02:37 AM

My guess from four days ago was wrong. Alison McMorland and Geordie McIntyre sang Geordie’s song White Wings on their 2007 album White Wings and noted on the recordings page of their website: "Over the years Geordie's own songs have been recorded by others and most recently White Wings by the Johnson Girls, a New York based 'maritime' group."

As Charmion wrote in another thread a few days ago that a senior should give prezzies to other people on one’s birthday, and as I've reached retirement age today, here are Geordie's lyrics as a present from me:

WHITE WINGS
Geordie McIntyre

White wings on the dark ocean
Endless tides in restless waters

Chorus (after each verse):
I am homeward-bound for Orkney
I am homeward bound

Rings of sun and standing stone
Dreams engraved on sculptured bone

Green fields where laveros rise
And teacks swing through northern skies

Mixter-maxter o’ guid folk
Will ready smile and quiet joke

Westray and Ronaldsay
Stromness, Hoy and Skara Brae

Life is light and life is shade
I don’t regret the choices made
I had to leave and work away
But knew I would return someday

Last chorus:
Now I'm homeward bound for Orkney
I am homeward bound

NOTE: This was triggered by a short, spectacular, low level flight from Kirkwall to Westray during the period of the annual Orkney Folk festival in May. In the following few days a meeting with some returning exiles gave me further inspiration.

Glossary:
V3 Laveros, skylarks.
V3 Teacks, lapwings.
V4 Mixter-Maxter, people of diverse ethnic/racial origins. (All Orkney dialect)

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: White wings – The Johnson Girls
From: Joe Offer
Date: 13 Sep 24 - 04:30 AM

What a lovely song! I could wish for verses about puffins and standing stones. Orkney is such a fascinating place.