When I came back to Nova Scotia, it was the spring of 1985. Little did I know that I would hear a song and a voice which would change and inspire my life. The Cape Breton revue, "The Rise and Follies of 1985" had an ensemble cast full of songs and skits. However, the final song was what made the most impact on me. The singer was a young lady from the western side of Cape Breton, short in stature, but with a voice as big as the outdoors, Raylene Rankin. She and her brothers and sisters later formed the band, The Rankin Family. They went for 10 years and garnered international acclaim. However, what re-started my appreciation of Cape Breton Traditional music, both song and fiddle and step-dance, is this song....

Rise Again
Leon Dubinsky - Englishtown, CB
Written originally for The Rise and Follies of Cape Breton 1985 - Sung originally by Raylene Rankin
© Shagrock Music SOCAN
 

When the waves roll on over the waters And the ocean cries We look to our sons and daughters To explain our lives As if a child could tell us why   That as sure as the sunrise As sure as the sea As sure as the wind in the trees We rise again in the faces of our children We rise again in the voices of our song We rise again in the waves out on the ocean And then we rise again   When the light goes dark with the forces of creation Across a stormy sky We look to reincarnation To explain our lives As if a child could tell us why   That as sure as the sunrise As sure as the sea As sure as the wind in the trees We rise again in the faces of our children We rise again in the voices of our song We rise again in the waves out on the ocean And then we rise again