Lyr Add: All Souls Night (Loreena McKennitt)

Subject: allsouls night
From:
Date: 20 Mar 97 - 12:11 AM

looking for lyrics to the song "allsouls night

Subject: Lyr Add: ALL SOULS NIGHT (Loreena McKennitt)
From: Susan-Marie
Date: 25 Mar 97 - 12:48 PM

Loreena McKennit's version (from memory, but I should have most of it right) is:

ALL SOULS NIGHT (Loreena McKennitt)

Bonfires dot the rolling hillside,
Figures dance around and around,
To drums that pulse echoes of darkness,
Moving to the pagan sound.

Somewhere in a distant memory,
Images float before my eyes,
Of fragrant nights of staw and bonfires,
And dancing until the next sunrise.

Chorus: [I can see lights in the distance
Trembling in the dark cloak of night.
Candles and lanterns are dancing, dancing.
A waltz on all souls night.]

Figures of cornstalks bend in the shadows,
Held up tall as the flames leap high.
A green knight holds a holly bush
To mark where the old year passes by.

(Chorus)

Bonfires dot the rolling hillside,
Figures dance around and around,
To drums that pulse echoes of darkness,
Moving to the pagan sound.

Standing on the bridge that crosses
The river that goes down to the sea.
The wind is ful of a thousand voices
They pass by the bridge and me.

(Chorus)

An intersting thing about this song is that is was supposedly written in Japan during their "all souls night", hence the reference to the bridge, river, and lanterns.

Subject: RE: allsouls night
From:
Date: 26 Mar 97 - 12:09 PM

I was going to spout it from my memory, but it seems accurate as written.

James

Subject: Lyr Add: ALL SOULS NIGHT (from Loreena McKennitt)
From: Ezio
Date: 10 Jan 98 - 02:14 AM

ALL SOULS NIGHT

Bonfires dot the rolling hills
Figures dance around and around
To drums that pulse out echoes of darkness
Moving to the pagan sound.
Somewhere in a hidden memory
Images float before my eyes
Of fragrant nights of straw and of bonfires
And dancing till the next sunrise.
I can see lights in the distance
Trembling in the dark cloak of night
Candles and lanterns are dancing, dancing
A waltz on All Souls Night.
Figures of cornstalks bend in the shadows
Held up tall as the flames leap high
The green knight holds the holly bush
To mark where the old year passes by.
Bonfires dot the rolling hillsides
Figures dance around and around
To drums that pulse out echoes of darkness
And moving to the pagan sound.
Standing on the bridge that crosses
The river that goes out to the sea
The wind is full of a thousand voices
They pass by the bridge and me.

----------------------
Sung by McKennitt on "The visit"

Music and lyrics by Loreena McKennitt

Subject: ADD: All Souls' Night (Loreena McKennitt)
From: Joe Offer
Date: 09 Dec 18 - 01:51 AM

Notes from McKennitt's Website:

All Souls Night:
This piece was inspired by the imagery of a Japanese tradition which celebrates the souls of the departed by sending candle-lit lanterns on out waterways leading to the ocean, sometimes in little boats; along with the imagery of the Celtic All Souls Night celebrations, at which time huge bonfires were lit not only to mark the new year, but to warm the souls of the departed.

Here's my attempt at a transcription:

ALL SOULS' NIGHT
(Loreena McKennitt)

Bonfires dot the rolling hillsides
Figures dance around and around
To drums that pulse out echoes of darkness
Moving to the pagan sound.

Somewhere in a hidden memory
Images float before my eyes
Of fragrant nights of straw and of bonfires
Dancing 'till the next sunrise.

CHORUS
I can see the lights in the distance
Trembling in the dark cloak of night
Candles and lanterns are dancing, dancing,
A waltz on All Souls' Night.

Figures of cornstalks bend in the shadows
Held up tall as the flames leap high
The Green Knight holds the holly bush
To mark where the old year passes by.

CHORUS

Bonfires dot the rolling hillsides
Figures dance around and around
To drums that pulse out echoes of darkness
Moving to the pagan sound.

Standing on the bridge that crosses
The river that goes out to the sea
The wind is full of a thousand voices
They pass by the bridge and me.

CHORUS

(to end)

Based on the transcription at this Website: https://www.reconnections.net/loreena.htm

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RooTTuLCfNM

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: All Souls Night (Loreena McKennitt)
From: Joe Offer
Date: 09 Dec 18 - 02:04 AM

Any corrections?

I'm not sure of the last line of the chorus. To me, it sounds like "a waltz on all, All Souls' Night." or is it "a waltz upon All Souls' Night"?

-Joe-

Subject: RE: Lyr ADD: All Souls Night (Loreena McKennitt)
From: FreddyHeadey
Date: 09 Dec 18 - 05:17 AM

my vote would be for

upon

https://youtu.be/RooTTuLCfNM?t=3m31s

:(
another track where the sound engineers have decided that the words aren't all that important
:(

Subject: RE: Lyr ADD: All Souls Night (Loreena McKennitt)
From: Sunnyjohn
Date: 09 Dec 18 - 09:08 AM

Listening through headphones it sound to me like:

A waltz all on (breath) All Soul's Night

She must have written the words, then put them to a suitable melody. They don't scan well and she takes breaths in awkward places in the lyrics. Still a lovely song, though. Despite her theatrical attack to songs, I still love her to bits!

Subject: RE: Lyr ADD: All Souls Night (Loreena McKennitt)
From: FreddyHeadey
Date: 09 Dec 18 - 01:59 PM

the words above look good enough to me.
but for any keener ...
sheet music download here for about Canadian$4 \£2.50
http://www.maplemusic.com/product.asp?dept_id=849&pf_id=840-243&lang=EN