Lyr ADD: Port of Call

Subject: Lyr Req: Port of Call
From: Laurent
Date: 19 Oct 02 - 05:22 PM

Does someone knowthe lyrics of the Kieran Halpin's "Port of Call" as sung by Allister Russell in Battlefield Band's album "Anthem for a common man"?

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Port of Call
From: Susanne (skw)
Date: 19 Oct 02 - 06:04 PM

Laurent, I've got a (bad) copy on tape and will try to take the words down tomorrow. Maybe somebody has them handy, though ...

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Port of Call
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 21 Oct 02 - 09:21 AM

It's in Kieran Halpin's "Songbook One" which can be ordered through his web site here.

It's also on the 1979 album "Port of Call", by Kieran Halpin and Tom McConville, which is described on the same page, but it's out of print.

It's on the 2001 album "Paddy Goes to Huddersfield" by Alistair Russell and Chris Parkinson, described here.

Subject: Lyr Add: PORT OF CALL (Kieran Halpin)
From: Stewie
Date: 21 Oct 02 - 10:50 AM

PORT OF CALL
(Kieran Halpin)

You've spent your life in service, you've apprenticed long enough
You learned to love the ocean both becalmed and deathly rough
Now you wait in patient silence for some long abandoned ship
To call you up for duty and one more longed for trip

Still Henry comes to see you and helps to dry your tears
With his love of country music and half-a-dozen beers
And he takes you from your sorrow and takes you on the town
Says if you can't forget the ocean, there's danger you might drown

Chorus:
No sixty-year-old sailor is wanted on the sea
No forty years of sailing will get them to agree
No twenty years of reasoning will ever make them see
And no amount of money will ever set you free

Still Henry's young and happy, he can only do so much
And you realise he loses you when you start losing touch
And in this dirty, smoky bar-room you stare blindly at your past
And you see the ghost of every coast appearing in your glass

And you did your bit for Europe, for your king and your country
But they soon forgot your sacrifice in the wake of victory
And these empty bottles ask you was it peace or was it war
Was it love or just frustration that brought you down so far

And all these years of waiting will they be worth it after all
Because there's only one more voyage, just one more port of call

Source: from sleeve of Tom McConville and Kieran Halpin 'Port of Call' Rubber Records LP Rub 041 [1980].

--Stewie.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Port of Call
From: Declan
Date: 21 Oct 02 - 11:33 AM

Well done Stewie, you beat me to it and saved me some typing.

I saw Kieran Halpin doing a gig for the first time in many years while I was in Edinburgh on holidays in August and he is still writing great songs, but this is definitely on of his best. I can never understand why Kieran has never attained more widespread recognition - in my opinion he's definitely one of the best songwriters around.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Port of Call
From: Laurent
Date: 21 Oct 02 - 04:05 PM

Thanks a lot Stewie for the lyrics.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Port of Call
From: Susanne (skw)
Date: 22 Oct 02 - 04:26 PM

Thanks from me too, Stewie! BTW, my recording is from the Battlefiend Band's 'Anthem for the Common Man', also sung by Alistair Russell.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Port of Call
From: GUEST
Date: 20 Jul 06 - 03:00 AM

does anyone have chords for this song ?

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Port of Call
From: GUEST,Georgie Bowlocks
Date: 12 Nov 12 - 04:52 PM

You spent your life in service, you've apprenticed long enough,
And you learned to love the ocean, both becalmed and deathly rough,
Now you wait in patient silence for some long abandoned ship,
To call you up for duty and one more longed-for trip.
Still Henry comes to see you, to wipe away your tears,
With his love of country music and half a dozen beers,
And he takes you from your sorrow and he takes you on the town,
Says if you can't forget the ocean, there's danger you might drown.

No sixty year old sailor is wanted on the sea,
No forty years of sailing will get them to agree,
No twenty years of reasoning will ever make them see,
That no amount of money can ever set you free.

Still Henry's young and happy, he can only do so much,
And you realise he loses you when you start losing touch,
In this dirty, smoky barroom you stare blindly at your past,
And you see the ghost of every coast appearing in your glass.
And you did your bit for Europe, for your king and your country,
But they soon forgot your sacrifice in the wake of victory,
Now these empty bottles ask you: was it peace or was it war,
Was it love or just frustration that brought you down so far.

No sixty year old sailor is wanted on the sea,
No forty years of sailing will get them to agree,
No twenty years of reasoning will ever make them see,
That no amount of money can ever set you free.

And all these years of waiting will they be worth it after all,
Because there's only one more voyage - just one more port of call.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Port of Call
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 12 Nov 12 - 04:59 PM

Lyrics already posted above by Stewie.