Lyr Req: The Islands (Ralph McTell)

Subject: The Islands
From: Bill - Scotland
Date: 26 Jul 98 - 07:59 AM

Does anyone have the lyrics to the song "The Islands" written by Ralph McTell for the Billy Connolly TV series "World tour of Scotland". It was also on the sound track of the movie "The Matchmaker".
The chorus goes something like...
"Won't you stay, stay a while with your own folks"
or something like that.

Thanks
Bill

Subject: RE:
From: BAZ
Date: 26 Jul 98 - 05:25 PM

BILL
if you go here http://www.harbour.sfu.ca/~hayward/van/lyrics/chieftains.html#track2 you will find the lyrics to the Album Van Morrison and the Chieftains the track you want is listed as Irish Heartbeat. Somewhere on OLGA I think there are all the chords as well.
Regards Baz.

Subject: Lyr Add: THE ISLANDS (Ralph McTell)
From: alison
Date: 27 Jul 98 - 03:02 AM

Hi,

The Islands is a different (but great song), I did a search on the Billy Connolly page for the other one and couldn't find it.

so Here is the other one. Let me know if you need the tune.

Slainte

Alison

THE ISLANDS
by Ralph McTell
from Billy Connolly's World Tour of Scotland

We do not fear the marshes, we've seen long ships before.
Men sailed here from the north land and hauled their boats ashore.
They brought with them their music, their language and their lore,
And burned their boats and stayed here on the islands.

It's midday in the Wintertime before the moon does pale.
The winter songs are very long, the storm, winds, and the gales.
The midnight sun's as distant as the calling of the whales,
'Til Spring returns again to paint the islands.

The grey seals and the otter, the salmon and the chub,
The land fowl and the sea trout, the free birds on the wind,
The shepherd and the farmer and all those in their care
Harmonise the music of the islands.

Subject: Tune Add: THE ISLANDS (Ralph McTell)
From: alison
Date: 27 Jul 98 - 04:08 AM

Hi,

Couldn't resist, here's the tune.

Slainte

alison

MIDI file: ISLANDS.MID

Timebase: 480

Name: THE ISLANDS
TimeSig: 4/4 24 8
Key: G
Tempo: 100 (600000 microsec/crotchet)
Start
1680 1 59 017 0238 0 59 017 0002 1 64 036 0358 0 64 036 0002 1 71 032 0109 1 71 041 0009 0 71 032 0344 0 71 041 0018 1 71 044 0117 1 71 046 0001 0 71 044 0488 0 71 046 0024 1 71 037 0312 0 71 037 0018 1 71 049 0115 0 71 049 0018 1 69 043 0345 0 69 043 0002 1 67 029 0123 0 67 029 0027 1 66 026 0295 0 66 026 0035 1 64 026 0118 0 64 026 0002 1 62 042 0718 0 62 042 0002 1 62 034 0238 0 62 034 0002 1 71 043 0358 0 71 043 0002 1 69 033 0118 0 69 033 0002 1 67 050 0358 0 67 050 0002 1 69 035 0118 0 69 035 0002 1 71 036 0118 0 71 036 0002 1 74 048 0696 0 74 048 0035 1 71 048 0107 0 71 048 0002 1 69 040 0358 0 69 040 0002 1 67 022 0118 0 67 022 0002 1 66 030 0358 0 66 030 0002 1 64 029 0118 0 64 029 0002 1 62 035 0838 0 62 035 0002 1 62 029 0118 0 62 029 0002 1 64 026 0358 0 64 026 0002 1 66 026 0118 0 66 026 0002 1 67 042 0358 0 67 042 0002 1 64 028 0118 0 64 028 0002 1 66 023 0238 0 66 023 0002 1 71 040 0478 0 71 040 0002 1 71 048 0238 0 71 048 0002 1 71 053 0358 0 71 053 0002 1 67 033 0118 0 67 033 0002 1 69 048 0338 1 71 038 0023 0 69 048 0092 0 71 038 0027 1 69 040 0118 0 69 040 0002 1 67 042 0118 0 67 042 0002 1 64 042 0562 1 66 028 0047 0 64 042 0076 0 66 028 0035 1 67 046 0358 0 67 046 0002 1 64 028 0118 0 64 028 0002 1 67 045 0328 0 67 045 0051 1 71 034 0090 0 71 034 0011 1 69 032 0338 1 67 049 0007 0 69 032 0116 0 67 049 0019 1 66 028 0358 0 66 028 0002 1 62 020 0118 0 62 020 0002 1 66 029 0358 0 66 029 0002 1 64 038 1320 0 64 038
End

This program is worth the effort of learning it.

To download the March 10 MIDItext 98 software and get instructions on how to use it click here

ABC format:

X:1
T:THE ISLANDS
M:4/4
Q:1/4=100
K:G
B,8|E3/2B/2B3/2B/2B9/4B5/4B/2|A3/2G3/4F5/4E/2D3D|
B3/2A/2G3/2A/2B/2d3B/2|A3/2G/2F3/2E/2D7/2D/2|
E3/2F/2G3/2E/2FB2B|B3/2G/2A3/2B/2A/2G/2E9/4F3/4|
G3/2E/2G3/2B/2A3/2G/2F3/2D/2|F3/2E13/2||

Subject: RE: The Islands
From: Bill -Scotland
Date: 27 Jul 98 - 10:23 AM

Thanks Baz and Alison,

It was the Irish heartbeat lyrics I was after. But I'll now try and learn 'The islands' too.
Thanks for the help.

All the best
Bill

Subject: Lyr Add: IRISH HEARTBEAT (Van Morrison)
From: alison
Date: 28 Jul 98 - 01:03 AM

Hi,

Here's Irish heartbeat.

IRISH HEARTBEAT
Words and Music by Van Morrison

Oh won't you stay, stay awhile with your own ones.
Don't ever stray, stray so far from your own ones.
This old world is so cold.
Don't care nothin' for your soul
You share with your own ones.

Don't rush away, rush away from your own ones.
Just one more day, one more day with your own ones.
For the world is so cold.
Don't care nothin' for your soul
You share with your own ones.

Bridge:

There's a stranger and he's standing at your door.
May be your best friend might be your brother,
You may never know.

I'm going back, going back to my own ones.
Back to talk, talk awhile with my own ones.
For the world is so cold.
Don't care nothing for your soul
You share with your own ones.

Slainte

Alison

Subject: Lyr Add: THE ISLANDS (Ralph McTell)
From: Fliss
Date: 31 Oct 04 - 04:26 PM

Thought Id set the record straight as the words werent spot on and there were more verses; so Ive scanned the words from the CD cover.

For those of you who dont know the story. The Braer was an oil tanker that ran aground in the Shetlands 8th January, 1993 spilling oil. Luckily the strong winds meant the oil was dispersed.

The Shetlands belong to Norway and so the song is about the Viking long boats and modern times too.

THE ISLANDS

We do not fear the long ships
We've seen long ship, before
Men sailed here from the north land
And hauled their boats ashore
They brought with them their music
The language and the law
And burned their boats and stayed here on the islands        .

Its midday in the winter time
Before the moon does pale
The winter songs are very long
The storm winds and the gales
The midnight sun's as distant
As the ca'ing of the whales
'Till spring returns and comes to paint the islands

The grey seals and the otter
The salmon and the charr
The land bound and the sea trapped
The free birds of the air
The shepherd and the farmer
And all those in their care
Harmonise the music of the island,

We never feared the long ships
'Till the coming of the "Braer"
The roaring sea in anger
Beat that broken boat ashore
Spilled fuel enough to take that ship
Twice round the world or more
And filled the air with oil to paint the islands

As if the sea had realised
The tragedy in store
Its waves continued pounding
About a week or more
Most of the crude was washed away
And never came ashore
The sea regained its temper round the islands

Oh let this be a warning
To those whose faceless greed
Would sail close to the shoreline
To save both fuel and speed
The sea is our protector
And provider of our needs
A jealous guard and keeper of the islands

Ralph McTell from the Sand in Your Shoes CD

Subject: RE: The Islands (Ralph McTell)
From: nager
Date: 01 Nov 04 - 02:38 AM

From an on-line encyclopedia:

The Shetland Islands (sometimes historically spelled Zetland, formerly Hjaltland) are one of 32 unitary council regions in Scotland and a Lieutenancy Area. It is a Scottish island group between the Orkney Islands and the Faroe Islands, north of mainland Scotland, with a total area of approximately 1466km2. The administrative centre and only burgh is Lerwick.

The Shetland Islands were originally a Norwegian colony, and were pawned to the crown of Scotland on February 20, 1472. Many people on the islands do not feel Scottish, feeling closer to their Scandinavian roots. During World War II, boats from the Shetland Islands provided a relief service to occupied Norway, known as the "Shetland bus".

Subject: RE: The Islands (Ralph McTell)
From: Fliss
Date: 02 Nov 04 - 06:30 AM

I stand corrected. SOZ. Is it the Faroes that are Norwegian then?

f

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Islands (Ralph McTell)
From: nager
Date: 02 Nov 04 - 04:00 PM

I think they belong to Denmark.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Islands (Ralph McTell)
From: Fliss
Date: 04 Nov 04 - 01:42 PM

You'r right.. just had a look on google.

f

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Islands (Ralph McTell)
From: GUEST,Rob
Date: 11 May 08 - 11:44 AM

Does anyone know what album "the islands" is on?

or even better if all the songs from billy connolys world tour of scotland are on a soundtrack cd

thanks

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Islands (Ralph McTell)
From: irishenglish
Date: 11 May 08 - 09:22 PM

The Islands is on Ralph's album Sand In Your Shoes, also on Fairport's Jewel In The Crown.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Islands (Ralph McTell)
From: GUEST,Heapydood
Date: 22 Jul 08 - 10:43 PM

Folks I have just moved from Shetland to Scotland and have lived there for 5 years. It was an amazing time of my life which could never be again. "The Island" by Ralph McTell is perfect to describe Shetland. It does go very dark in winter being so far north 60 degrees and the day is only a few hours long. everything goes grey and dead And the winter storms are fierce with the sea beating the Islands.. spring does come though and the Islands are painted with green and with wild flowers of all colours.. the sea is angry in winter and you see the big tankers coming from Sullom voe oil terminal, the oil rigs of the Brent, Alph, Claire and Shihallion fields pipe millions of gallons of oil to the nearest land mass.. Shetland,, which then transfers it th tankers that take it all over the world.. hence the song about the Braer which was a disaster shortly after the opening of the Sullom Voe terminal in the mid 70s.
All that crude oil in the sea in such a beautiful Island... The Shetland folk have the "Up helly Aa" fire festival every year in January which is the building and burning of a viking galley while dressed as Guisers of the Jarl squad pronounced Yarl-squad this is to remember their viking heritage.. this song makes me think of Zetland and the Hjatland ferry going home.. You have to go there to understand...this wonderful place and people.. Hope this makes sense.. Its a great song..
Thanks Alan

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Islands (Ralph McTell)
From: Effsee
Date: 22 Jul 08 - 11:16 PM

Gut Heapydood, at least read the thread before contributing..."For those of you who dont know the story. The Braer was an oil tanker that ran aground in the Shetlands 8th January, 1993 spilling oil. Luckily the strong winds meant the oil was dispersed."
you're a couple of decades out!

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Islands (Ralph McTell)
From: GUEST,alfie
Date: 29 Jun 10 - 11:29 AM

does anyone have the lyrics and guitar chords to the scottish song 1320 sung by gaberlunzie
thanks

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Islands (Ralph McTell)
From: GUEST,Craig pell
Date: 25 Oct 12 - 12:01 PM

Yes I have the album at home I will dig it out and tell you the name when I get home

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Islands (Ralph McTell)
From: GUEST,Craig pell
Date: 25 Oct 12 - 12:15 PM

It's called Billy connolly musical tour of Scotland
Tracks :-
Banjoland
The Islands (theme/instrumental)
The waltzing fool
Tangle of the Isles theme
Glasgow
Flower of Scotland theme
Campbells farewell
Will ye go
From here to claire
The islands Ralph mctell
Waltz of the waves
Tangle of the isles
Barges
Flower of Scotland
Glasgow theme
Will ye go theme
Irish heartbeat

17 tracks some instrumentals
Hope this helps

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Islands (Ralph McTell)
From: GUEST,999
Date: 25 Oct 12 - 12:54 PM

"The Islands" (Ralph McTell/Martin Allcock, performed by Ralph McTell)

That is from a Wiki article. Seems authorship of the song may be split two ways. Anyone know this for sure?