Caledonia (Bert Jansch)
Bert Jansch: Acoustic Guitar, Electric Guitar,Vocals
Makoto Sakamoto: Drums
Last night as I lay sleeping, a dream it came to me
I thought I heard a piper play the sweetest melody
People gathered round a’ dancing and singing so merrily
They’re all singing and dancing, Caledonia ever free
Singing and dancing, Caledonia ever free

From the busy heart of Glasgow to Lochranza by the sea
O’er the water to Kintyre, the prettiest place you’ll ever see
To the pubs and bars of Oban, they’re all proud of their old country
They’re all singing and dancing, Caledonia ever free
Singing and dancing, Caledonia ever free

On the road to Drumnadrochit, there’s music everywhere
For the piper plays for Nessie a sweet and tender air
Through Glengarry’s running rivers, cascading to the sea
To the tranquillity of Ullapool, ah now that’s Scotland to me
Come wild and windy weather, Caledonia ever free

When the fiddle plays from Shetland, they heard the piper’s song
They came o’er the sea to join him, they danced and they sang along
From the granite city southward, on the road to bonny Dundee
They’re all singing and dancing, Caledonia ever free
Singing and dancing, Caledonia ever free

Now if you ever come to Scotland, ever come to visit my home
You can hear the piper playing, standing all alone
For he plays from Edinburgh Castle, that looks out to the sea
He’ll have you singing and dancing, Caledonia ever free
Singing and dancing, Caledonia ever free

Going Home (Bert Jansch)
Bert Jansch: Acoustic Guitar, Electric Guitar, Vocals
Adam Jansch: Bass Guitar
Driving through the wind and rain
Got my baby beside me too
Baby we’re going home
Just me and you

I don’t mind the drizzling rain
Inside it is warm and dry
Hey baby we’re going home
I’ll kiss the blues bye-bye

See the raindrops dance on the highway
A million starlights bright
Babe we got to keep on trucking,
Trucking tonight

There’s a truck stop sign up ahead
Glistening in the rain
Maybe we could stop a little while
Then back on the road again

So lay back your pretty little head
And dream the night away
Dream of a snow white pillow
And a great big feather bed

Driving through the wind and rain
Got my baby beside me too
Hey baby we’re going home
Just me and you

Crimson Moon (Bert Jansch)
Bert Jansch: Acoustic Guitar, Vocals
Bernard Butler: Electric Guitar
Adam Jansch: Bass Guitar
Makoto Sakamoto: Percussion
Crimson moon
In the early early morning
Blue black sky
Tell me why
If she loves me
My baby she drives me wild
Like a little child
She’s standing on the edge, she wants to learn to swim
She looks at the water but she won’t dive in
Crimson moon
Tell me why

She’s like a new spring flower
Come out to play
On a grey day in Autumn
She brightens up the day
But does she know that winter’s coming?
Jack Frost is on his way
You’ve got to hide little girl from his icy stare
Run back to the sunshine he won’t catch you there
Run little girl run

Crimson moon,
In the early early morning
Blue black sky
Tell her I love her
She will listen to you
Tell her she can hear the heartbeat of a dragonfly
In full flight
Taste the spring water of the mountain stream
And feel the burning kiss of a lover’s dream
Tell her I love her
She will listen to you
She will know that it’s true

Downunder (Bert Jansch)
Bert Jansch: Acoustic Guitar
Johnny Hodge: Acoustic Guitar

October Song (Robin Williamson)
Bert Jansch: Acoustic Guitar, Vocals
I’ll sing you this October Song
There is no song before it
The words and tune are none of my own
For my joys and sorrows bore it
Beside the sea the brambly briars
In the still of evening
Birds fly out behind the sun
And with them I’ll be leaving

The fallen leaves that jewel the ground
They know the art of dying
And leave with joy their glad gold hearts
In scarlet shadows lying
When hunger calls my footsteps home
The morning follows after
I swim the seas within my mind
And the pine trees laugh green laughter

I used to search for happiness
I used to follow pleasure
But I found a door behind my mind
And that’s the greatest treasure
For rulers like to lay down laws
And rebels like to break them
And the poor priests like to walk in chains
And God likes to forsake them

I met a man whose name was time
He said I must be going
But just how long ago that was
I have no way of knowing
Sometimes I want to murder time
Sometimes when my heart’s aching
But mostly I just stroll along
The path that he is taking

I’ll sing you this October Song
There is no song before it
The words and tune are none of my own
For my joys and sorrows bore it
Beside the sea the brambly briars
In the cool of evening
The birds fly out behind the sun
And with them I’ll be leaving

Looking For Love (Bert Jansch)
Bert Jansch: Acoustic Guitar, Electric Guitar, Vocals
Johnny Marr: Backing Vocals
Makoto Sakamoto: Drums
When you’re feeling lonesome
I’ll tell you what you do
Pick up the phone and tell me
Don’t be alone and blue
Pick up the phone and call me
I’ll come running straight to you
If you’re looking for love
I’ve got a cure for the lonesome blues.

When the sky above you
Is cloudy and grey
Pick up the phone and call me
I’ll brighten up your day
Pick up the phone and call me, honey
I’ll come running straight to you
If you’re looking for love
I’ve got a cure for the lonesome blues.

Morning brings the sunshine
Night-time brings the blues
I can bring you lovin’
Honey you can’t lose
Pick up the phone and call me
I’ll come running straight to you
If you’re looking for love
I’ve got a cure for the lonesome blues.

When you’re feeling lonesome
I’ll tell you what you do
Pick up the phone and tell me, honey
Don’t be alone and blue
Pick up the phone and call me
I’ll come running straight to you
If you’re looking for love
I’ve got a cure for the lonesome blues.

Fool’s Mate (Bert Jansch)
Bert Jansch: Acoustic Guitar, Vocals
Johnny Marr: Acoustic Guitar
Bernard Butler: Slide Guitar, Electric Guitar
Makoto Sakamoto: Percussion
The Black Knight surveys all before him
His charger is thumping the ground
High on a hill the high Bishop looks down
From his men to the horses
Not a whisper of sound
They’re all dressed for the battle
And their colours fly high
And flutter in the wind

The White Queen her face red with anger
Turns to her left and her right
To the men of the King’s Knight she screams and yells
“ Let them know that you come from the fires of Hell - and we’ll give them a fight”

Like a black painted shadow
Unmoved and unhurried
One look from her eye and her kingsmen they roar
And into the battle like never before

The King’s bishop he moves his men forward
To guard his knight’s men up ahead
For fear of the Queen and love for their King
They’ll fight till they win or they’ll fight till they’re dead

Like a black hare that’s chased by the Devil
O’er the battlefield she flies like the wind
She turns and looks down the path to her prey
This time she swears that you can’t get away
Nobody can save you
And there’s nothing can stop me
I will have my way

… five, six, seven, eight …

We’re counting the dying the dead and bereaved
And some of the living you’d never believe
For they ain’t got no arms and they ain’t got no heads
And the cost of this war here is written in red.

I am the Joker, my friend is the Fool
He’s bin playing the fool since he started at school
When the battle is over and the reckoning’s done
We’ll sing you a song and we’ll tell you who’s won.

We sing for the King and we dance for the Queen
We fall and tumble never question our fate
For he’s never early and I’m never late
When he’s playing the fool then I am the fool’s mate.

The River Bank (Bert Jansch)
Bert Jansch: Acoustic Guitar, Vocals
Bernard Butler: Electric Guitar
Johnny Marr: Harmonica, Backing Vocals
Makoto Sakamoto: Percussion
Sitting on the river bank
Watching the water flow
Sitting here thinking and wondering
Which way to go?
Now the river sings the sweetest songs
in a million harmonies
But the sun shines brighter on the other side
That's where I want to be

So please mister ferryman
Won't you take me to the other side
Where the songbirds sing for me
Where life is led by the hand of fate
That's how it ought to be

When the evening shadows reach out
At the setting of the sun
Will I still be wishing and a-wondering
When the morning comes?
For I once could swim against the tide
Like the salmon who swims for home
But I'll be happy now just to hitch a ride
And make it on my own

So please mister ferryman
Won't you take me to the other side
Where the songbirds sing for me
Where life is led by the hand of fate
That's how it ought to be

Well I'll take you says the ferryman
But if I should close my eyes
And fall asleep before we land
You must take these oars and forever more
Be at my command

Omie Wise (Trad. arr. Jansch)
Bert Jansch: Acoustic Guitar, Vocals
Bernard Butler: Electric Guitar
Oh listen to my story I'll tell you no lies
How John Lewes did murder poor little Omie Wise.

He told to her meet him at Adam's Spring
He promised her money and other fine things

And fool like she met him at Adam's Spring
No money did he bring her nor other fine things

Go with me little Omie and away we will go
We'll go and get married and nobody will know

Well she climbed up behind him and away they did go
But down to the river where deep waters flow.

“ John Lewes, John Lewes will you tell to me your mind
Do you intend to marry me or leave me behind?”

“ Little Omie, little Omie I'll tell to you my mind
My mind is to drown you and leave you behind.”

“ Have mercy on my baby and spare me my life
I'll go home as a beggar and never be your wife”

He hugged her and kissed her and turned her around
And pushed her in deep water where he knew that she would drown.

Then he got up on his pony and away he did ride
As the screams of little Omie went down by his side

‘ Twas on a Thursday morning the rain was a-pouring down
When the people searched for Omie but she could not be found.

Two boys went a-fishing one fine sunny day
And saw little Omie's body go floating away.

They threw their nets around her and drew her to the bank
Her clothes all wet and muddy they laid her on a plank.

Then sent for John Lewes to come to that place
And brought her out before him that he might see her face.

Well he made no confession but they carried him to jail
No friends nor relations would come for his bail.

My Donald (Owen Hand)
Bert Jansch: Acoustic Guitar
Johnny Marr: Acoustic Guitar, Electric Guitar
Loren Jansch: Vocals
My Donald he works on the sea
Where the waves they blow wild and free
He splices the ropes, he sets the sail,
Southward he goes, in search of the whale.

He never thinks of me left behind
Nor the torments that rage in my mind
He’s mine for only half part of the year
Then leaves me behind, with nothing but a tear.

Oh you ladies who smell the wild rose
Think for the perfume to where a man goes
Think of the women, the children that yearn
For men never return from hunting the sperm.

Oh my Donald he works on the sea
Where the waves they blow wild and free
He splices the ropes, he sets the sail,
Southward he goes, in search of the whale.

Neptune's Daughter (Bert Jansch)
Bert Jansch: Classical Guitar, Vocals
While walking along on a rocky sea shore
On a wild wet windy day
I heard a sweet voice cry in the wind
Saying “Lover come to me”
O’er the jagged rocks I scrambled
Fingers cut down to the core
Saw the light of a lady
She was sitting alone on the shore
“ Lady all alone please tell me,
Why do you cry for me?
Why do you sit in the cold and sing,
Sing out to the sea?”

“ Well I sing for my loved ones
Lost in the silvery sea
Sing for my homeland so dear
Sing to draw your heart near.
So please kind sir will you help me
To find my way home
I’ve travelled the seven blue oceans,
Now I’m stranded here all alone
My brothers they are dying
From a plague running wild and free
Their bodies all covered in the blackest of oil
That floats on top of the sea.
And my sisters are in hiding
Afraid others may see their shame
Their bodies all twisted, broken and lame
Deep in the watery main.
So please kind sir will you help me
To find my way home
I’ve travelled the seven blue oceans,
Now I’m stranded here all alone.
If you promise you will take me
To the edge of the silvery sea
I’ll give you all your heart’s desires
All your eyes they do see”

O’er the jagged rocks I carried her
To the edge of the silvery sea
I laid her down and kissed her sweet lips
Saying “Lover, now you are free”
But she clung on to my arms
And she would not let me be
She clung on so fast she pulled me down
Down to the bottom of the sea

Singing The Blues (Melvin Endsley)
Bert Jansch: Acoustic Guitar, Vocals
Johnny Hodge: Harmonica
I never felt more like singing the blues
I never thought that I’d ever lose your love dear
You got me singing the blues.

I never felt more like running away
Now that you’re gone, why should I stay without you
You got me singing the blues.

The moon and stars no longer shine
The dream has gone I thought was mine
There’s nothing left for me to do
But cry baby over you.

I never felt more like crying all night
‘ cause everything’s wrong and nothing ain’t right
Without you
You got me singing the blues.

The moon and stars no longer shine
The dream has gone I thought was mine
There ain’t nothing left to do
But cry baby over you.

I never felt more like singing the blues
For I never thought that I’d ever lose your love dear
You got me singing the blues.

I would like to thank Bernard Butler and Johnny Marr for playing on the album, and thank both them and Matt Quinn for encouragement and advice. I would also like to thank Makoto Sakamoto for percussion and drums on “Caledonia”, “Fool’s Mate”, “The River Bank”, “Looking for Love” and “Crimson Moon”, and I’d like to thank Mister Johnny Guitar (Johnny Hodge) for his amazing performance on “Downunder” and harmonica on “Singing the Blues”. Also, on his debut recording for his father, Adam Jansch for playing bass guitar on “Going Home” and “Crimson Moon”, and lastly thanks to Loren Jansch (Auerbach), for singing “My Donald” and without whom this album would not have been possible. Thank you all very much.
Bert Jansch