Lyr Req: In the Dreamtime (Ralph McTell)

Subject: You know this song?
From: GUEST,Free Reed
Date: 28 Jun 00 - 01:56 PM

I¹ve been haunted by a tune for ages. It¹s the song Billy Connolly sang over the outro credits for the TV series he did about Australia. I saw it on BBC in UK, but I¹m sure it must have been run elsewhere. I only remember a scrap of the wordsŠ something about Œcloser to you now¹. But the tune is with me still. Can anyone identify the song, where it comes from/writer or provide any other info about this haunting song? Hey, I just became a Mudcat Member, so I¹d also like to say hello everyone!

FreeReed

Subject: RE: You know this song?
From: Peter T.
Date: 28 Jun 00 - 02:04 PM

Hi, FreeReed, lots of Billy Connolly fans here, so someone may be able to help you. If not, hi anyway (nice wellies!)
yours, Peter T.

Subject: RE: You know this song?
From: Bagpuss
Date: 28 Jun 00 - 02:05 PM

I'll post later when my husband gets back, he will remember more than me. I have a vague recollection that either Billy himself, or Ralph McTell wrote, but don't quote me on that.

Bagpuss

Subject: RE: You know this song?
From: Pene Azul
Date: 28 Jun 00 - 02:06 PM

There are lyrics to several of his songs on this page (click). Maybe it's one of these?

Welcome, welcome, welcome to the Mudcat Cafe!

PA

Subject: RE: You know this song?
From: Bagpuss
Date: 28 Jun 00 - 02:07 PM

I had a quick look, and I don't think its any of the songs listed in the above link.

Bagpuss

Subject: RE: You know this song?
From: Liz the Squeak
Date: 28 Jun 00 - 05:57 PM

You could always try asking the BBC themselves, they have a pretty good information service. Search for BBC/music and you might get something. If not, try asking Radio 4 (BBC again), they have a Q&A about music address somewhere. Been a while since I was a library assistant so I've forgotten all the addresses. Sorry.

LTS

Subject: RE: You know this song?
From: Bugsy
Date: 28 Jun 00 - 09:42 PM

It's so long since I saw the show - when it was first screened in Australia, but I seem to remember that it was a Ralph McTell song. OR was that the World Tour of Scotland show he did?

CHeers

bugsy

Subject: RE: You know this song?
From: Bagpuss
Date: 29 Jun 00 - 05:34 AM

It was called "In the Dreamtime". Its on record label Sleepy Dumpling. Thats all we could remember.

Bagpuss

Subject: RE: You know this song?
From: AndyG
Date: 29 Jun 00 - 05:52 AM

I only know one song with that title and it was written by John Kirkpatrick:

In the Dreamtime
Oh, long ago, long ago, all in the Dreamtime,
The creatures of the earth all spoke the same tongue... Repeat
And the earth was filled with the glory of their voices,
The earth was filled with the glory of their song... Repeat
And the language of the land was the glory of the ground,
Was the song of the earth, was the singing all around... Repeat

Is this the one ?

AndyG

Subject: RE: You know this song?
From: alison
Date: 29 Jun 00 - 09:12 AM

Ralph McTell & Billy Connolly did the ones on the "world tour of Scotland".... I can't remember the ones from the Aussie one.....

slainte

alison

Subject: RE: You know this song?
From: A Wandering Minstrel
Date: 29 Jun 00 - 09:53 AM

Wasnt the chorus something like

Oh I could not be further from you now (with both feet on the ground) .... Then words are spoken, Dreams take flight And I am closer to you now (in the dreamtime)

Theres more but I can't recall it. I think Conolly wrote this one himself but the scottish one was called "From the Island" and was I think by Ralph McTell (although the name of Phil Cunningham echoes in there as well)

Subject: RE: You know this song?
From: GUEST,Free Reed
Date: 29 Jun 00 - 12:17 PM

Peter T, Bagpuss, Pene Azul, Liz the Squeak, Bugsy, AndyG, Alison and Wandering Minstrel ‹ thanks. I¹m sure it¹s not the John Kirkpatrick song Andy, but your suggestion sounds right Minstrel. In fact I¹m pretty sure that must be the one. Does this fit with your In the Dreamtime theory Bagpuss? Perhaps someone can take it a bit further if they know this song, and have time to respond. Meanwhile I¹ll check out sleepy dumpling and chase it up via the BBC library. Thanks again peeps!

FreeReed

Subject: Lyr Add: DREAMTIME (Ralph McTell)
From: GUEST
Date: 29 Dec 05 - 05:18 PM

DREAMTIME
(Ralph McTell)

The scent, a smoke on desert wind
Beneath the Southern Cross
Far beyond where time begins
And generations loss

I could not be further from you
Now with both feet on the ground
But in the dreamtime
Souls take flight
I am a closer to you now

If I should lay me down to sleep
By forest green or shining lake
I could arise to find you gone
To take for granted my mistake

Yet I could not be further from you
Now with both feet on the ground
But in the dreamtime
Souls take flight
I am a closer to you now

Mountains crumble forests vanish
Seeds awakened by the fire
Water air and earth have borne them
And I can feel my old ones near

Yet I could not be further from you
Now with both feet on the ground
But in the dreamtime
Souls take flight
And I am a closer to you now

Flames are dancing in the fire
Timeless songs are on the air
In the wilderness they're crying
But there is laughter everywhere

And I could not be further from you
Now with both feet on the ground
But in the dreamtime
Souls take flight
I am a closer to you now.
I am a closer to you now.

Subject: RE: You know this song?
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 05 Jan 06 - 12:54 AM

Various sources such as Amazon.co.uk list a TV series called "Billy Connolly's World Tour of Australia" from 1996, which is available as a DVD.

Wikipedia says that Ralph McTell's IN THE DREAMTIME is the song played over the closing credits, and McTell's recording of it is available on his album "Red Sky", 2000.

So it looks like GUEST posted the right song above.

Subject: RE: You know this song?
From: GUEST,Cpgp
Date: 03 Sep 08 - 03:04 PM

to whom ever sent all the lyrics, and everyone who answered the question, THANK YOU, i too have been enchanted by that song for monhs, and it is such a relief finnaly knowing what it is, thank you SOO much, all of you, but particularly the peson who sent all the lyrics

thanks again
Cpgp

Subject: Lyr Add: IN THE DREAMTIME (John Kirkpatrick)
From: GUEST,morag
Date: 01 Feb 10 - 08:41 PM

Just did this song, by John Kirkpatrick, at a workshop at Celtic Connections:

IN THE DREAMTIME
(John Kirkpatrick)

Oh, long ago, long ago, all in the dreamtime
The creatures of the earth all spoke the same tongue (x2)
(And) the earth was filled with the glory of their voices
The earth was filled with the glory of their song (x2)
And the language of the land was the glory of the ground
Was the song of the earth, was the singing all around (x2)

And the air was filled
Filled with beating wings
And the song of the earth it was singing all around
And the water was clear
Filled with swimming things
And the song of the earth it was singing all around
And the ground was clean
Above and below
And the song of the earth it was singing all around

And the earth was filled with the glory of their voices
The earth was filled with the glory of their song (x2)
And the language of the land was the glory of the ground
Was the song of the earth, was the singing all around (x2)

And the year turned round
As the salmon came to spawn
As the birds began to nest, as the babies they were born

And the earth was filled with the glory of their voices
The earth was filled with the glory of their song (x2)
And the language of the land was the glory of the ground
Was the song of the earth, was the singing all around (x2)

But the song goes on
Above and below
If you open up and listen you can hear the music go

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: In the Dreamtime (Ralph McTell)
From: Tattie Bogle
Date: 01 Feb 10 - 09:07 PM

I bought Ralph's CD Red Sky in 2005 when he headed the bill at Linlithgow Folk Festival, and what a night that was!
First line as posted by guest on 29/12/05 should be; The scent OF smoke on desert wind

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: In the Dreamtime (Ralph McTell)
From: Tattie Bogle
Date: 01 Feb 10 - 09:11 PM

And by the way " The Dreamtime" refers to the vision of the afterlife held by native Australian people.