1. |
Pair in a Paradise
04:03
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Heaven and Earth by the Lord were created,
Sun and the moon and the stars so elated,
Two in a garden, a beautifully mated
Pair in a Paradise, bare there were they.
[chorus]
Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden,
Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden,
Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden,
Pair in a Paradise, bare there were they.
Fruit-bearing trees in that garden were planted,
Nothing was lacking, no nothing was scanted;
Perfect for two, a completely enchanted
Pair in a paradise, bare there were they.
Of all the fruit growing there they'd partaken
Saving for one that the Lord had forbade them
Lest they be a-dying, that man and maiden,
Pair in a paradise, bare there were they.
Then in the garden there spoke an advisor:
"Why doth thou listen to all of these lies for?
Eat," said the serpent, "to be but the wiser."
Pair in a paradise, bare there were they.
Satan the serpent was oh so deceiving.
Eve though his cunning was led to believing;
Ate, as did Adam, soon to be a-grieving,
Pair in a paradise, bare there were they.
Hiding in shame at a growing awareness
There of their nakedness, there of their bareness,
Clothed by the Lord, then, a sadly embarrassed
Pair in a paradise, bare there were they.
Satan in Eden then had his beginning,
Sought with the lie o'er the Lord to be winning,
Death brought instead to the world through a sinning
Pair in a paradise, bare there were they.
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2. |
Watercress-O
04:01
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At five o'clock on a Sunday neet,
There's a man comes walkin' down our street,
You can hear him out in front of the row,
Crying, “Tuppence a basket, watercress-o!”
Watercress-o, watercress-o,
Crying, “tuppence a basket, watercress-o!”
Oh, come on, mam, it's time for tea,
Go and get tuppence and give it to me
That I may go out in front of the row
And fetch a little basket of watercress-o,
Watercress-o, watercress-o,
And fetch a little basket of watercress-o.
Kid, you don't know what you're asking of me,
If I had tuppence, I'd surely give it thee,
So you may go out in front of the row,
And fetch a little basket of watercress-o,
Watercress-o, watercress-o,
And fetch a little basket of watercress-o.
Our dad's on strike, kid, can't you see?
He scarce brings home enough to feed us wi',
And though it pains me to tell you “no”,
You'll have to do without your watercress-o,
Watercress-o, watercress-o,
You'll have to do without your watercress-o.
We're all in the union down our street,
And maybe he'll come back another week,
For until the strike is over, he might as well know,
He'll not sell much of his watercress-o,
Watercress-o, watercress-o,
He'll not sell much of his watercress-o.
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3. |
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Give me wings in the morning, so that I can fly
Give me wings in the morning, so that I can fly
Give me wings so I can rise above this poor sorry world
Give me wings, give me wings, give me wings
Been in the storm so long
Been in the storm so long
Oh lord, give me more time to pray
[chorus]
And I will meet you in the city of the new Jerusalem
I am washed in the blood of the Lamb
I will meet you in the city of the new Jerusalem
I am washed in the blood of the Lamb
Jerusalem, my happy home,
O how I long for thee!
When will my sorrows have an end,
Thy joys when shall I see?
Thy walls are built of precious stone,
So wond'rous to behold;
Thy gates are set with shining pearls,
Thy streets are paved with gold.
Come down, come down, thine arms of grace,
And cause me to ascend.
Where congregations ne'er break up,
And praises never end.
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4. |
The Old Churchyard
03:35
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Come, come with me out to the old churchyard,
I well know those paths 'neath the soft green sward.
Friends slumber in there that we want to regard;
We will trace out the names in the old churchyard.
Mourn not for them, their trials are o'er,
And why weep for those who will weep no more?
For sweet is that sleep, though cold and hard
Their pillows may be in the old churchyard.
I know that it's vain when our friends depart
To breathe kind words to a broken heart;
And I know that the joy of life is marred
When we follow lost friends to the old churchyard.
But were I at rest 'neath yonder tree,
Oh, why would you weep, my friends, for me?
I'm so weary, so wayworn, why would you retard
The peace I seek in the old churchyard?
Why weep for me, for I'm anxious to go
To that haven of rest where no tears ever flow;
And I fear not to enter that dark lonely tomb
Where our saviour has lain an' he conquered the gloom.
I rest in the hope that one bright day
Sunshine will burst through these prisons of clay,
And old Gabriel's trumpet and the voice of the Lord
Will wake up the dead in the old churchyard.
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5. |
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You better watch out for
The eggplant that ate Chicago
For he may eat your city too
You better watch out for
The eggplant that ate Chicago
If he's still hungry
The whole country's doomed
He came from outer space
Looking for something to eat
He landed in Chicago
He thought Chicago was a treat
It was sweet
It was just like sugar
You better watch out for
The eggplant that ate Chicago
For he may eat your city too
(Wackadoo, wackadoo, wackadoo)
You better watch out for
The eggplant that ate Chicago
If he's still hungry
The whole country's doomed
(Draw the curtains)
If he's still hungry
The whole country's doomed
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6. |
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Shaking like a leaf on a tree
That's coming loose from its stem
Shaking like a leaf on a tree
Because I've come loose from my man
Oh, like a weeping willow
Crying on my pillow
For years and years
There ain't no sweet man
Worth the salt of my tears
Down and down he dragged me
Like a fiend he nagged me
For years and years
There ain't no sweet man
Worth the salt of my tears
I may be low
Still I know
I must tell him goodbye
Rather than have that man
See me lay down and die
So brokenhearted sisters,
Aggravated misters
Lend me your ears
There ain't no sweet man
Worth the salt of my tears
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7. |
Ram in the Thicket
03:20
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Now in the Bible, so I've read,
God spoke to Abraham and thus He said,
"Before three days are past and gone,
You must sacrifice Isaac, your beloved son."
[chorus]
Don't despair, there's a ram in the thicket,
God is there, there's a ram in the thicket,
He hears your prayer, there's a ram in the thicket,
There's a ram in the thicket by the grace of God
Next mornng Abraham did depart
With a grieving soul and an aching heart
He took young Isaac by the hand
But he didn't tell his son about his God's command
"Father, for this sacrifice
I see the fire and I see the knife
But where's the ram?" young Isaac cried,
"Oh, my son, God will provide"
Abraham, he bound his son,
And laid him down upon the altar stone
He raised the knife to do God's command
But God called, "Abraham, stay thy hand"
Abraham freed the son he loved
He proved his faith in his God above
And if your faith is strong and true
There's a ram in the thicket will be waiting for you
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8. |
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Down in the land of Galilee
Down by the sea that's so deep
My lord came down, he said unto me,
"Go and feed my sheep."
[chorus]
Don't you wanna be a shepherd for the good God Almighty,
for the good God Almighty, for the good God Almighty,
Don't you wanna be a shepherd for the good God Almighty,
Don't you wanna go to Heaven when you die?
Now Jesus was the son of God
He died upon that cruel cross
He died for you, he died for me
That we might not be lost.
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9. |
Lower Lights
03:00
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Brightly shines the hope of harbors
Where our journeys shall be o'er
But, for now, we have the keeping
Of the lights along the shore
[chorus]
Let the lower lights be burning
Send a gleam across the wave
There’s a lonesome, struggling sailor
You may rescue, you may save
Dark the night has come and settled
Loud the angry billows roar
Eager eyes are watching, longing
For the lights along the shore
Trim your glowing lamps, my dear ones
Some sweet sailor, tempest-tossed
Trying now to reach the harbor
In the darkness may be lost
Stand your watches now, my shipmates
Rise and turn the glass once more
Soon will come the day whose dawning
Greets the lights upon the shore
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10. |
Boast Ye Not
03:00
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Former friends, O, how I’ve sought them!
Just to cheer my drooping mind;
But they’re gone like leaves in autumn,
Driv’n before a dreary wind.
[chorus]
Boast ye not of tomorrow
Boast ye not of tomorrow
Boast ye not of tomorrow
For thou knowest not what the day may bring
Spring and summer, fall and winter,
Each in swift succession roll,
So my friends in death do enter,
Bringing sadness to my soul.
Hollow winds around me roaring,
Noisy waters round me rise,
Whilst I sit my fate deploring,
Tears fast streaming from my eyes.
When a few more years are wasted,
When a few more scenes are o’er,
When a few more griefs are tasted,
I shall fall to rise no more.
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11. |
Witch Hazel
04:20
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[chorus]
I am looking at a witch hazel blooming in a garden
Bright yellow flowers in the middle of wintertime
And I tell heart be strong like the witch hazel flower
And you will not be injured by this dark and troubled time.
I take myself along to a place I know in winter
And I look at that south sloping bank covered with ice
And I tell my heart it all will melt and run down to the ocean
And you will not be injured by this dark and troubled time.
We must say good-bye to the ones we love, we must say good-bye to many
And we must say good-bye, in way too short a time,
So I tell my heart be strong like the witch hazel flower
And you will not be injured by this dark and troubled time.
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12. |
Balm in Gilead
02:57
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Long hast thou wept and sorrowed
Poor mourner, dry thy tears
Behold, with light and comfort,
The God of love appears.
[chorus]
There's balm in Gilead
To cure a sin-sick soul
There's balm in Gilead
To make the wounded whole
The storm may roar about you,
Your heart may low be laid;
but God is ever near you,
and can you be dismayed?
The seed, before it flourish,
Must low in darkness lie
And love, to live forever,
Must for a season die.
Green pastures are before you,
which yet you have not seen;
bright skies will soon be o'er you,
where darkest clouds have been.
For soon the day is coming;
The darkness shall be gone;
And o'er the night of weeping
A brighter day shall dawn.
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13. |
The Goodnight Song
03:44
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I have travelled far from this island strand
From the icy waste to the burning sand
Ploughed the raging sea, seen the verdant land
Been at home in a place far away
[chorus]
So goodnight my friends, as the dawn comes pale
And the eastern wind brings the threat of gales
Keep a hold on hope through the darkest vale
And we'll meet further on down the road
Many differences but much the same
Though the ways are strange and have different names
But a friendly face breaks a thousand chains
And a smile breaks the lock on the door
We have joined in song, laughed the night away
Swapped our tales of woe, kept the clouds at bay
In the morning clear we'll be on our way
But we'll meet further on down the road
So let's drink a health to good times gone by
When our spirits soared and we touched the sky
And we'll bid farewell but not goodbye
And we'll meet further on down the road
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14. |
Dry Bones
01:55
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Old Enoch lived to be
Three-hundred and sixty-five
And then the lord came
And took him up to heaven alive
[chorus]
I saw, I saw the light come shining
Shining all around
I saw the light come shining
I saw the light come down
Paul bound in prison
And the prison walls fell down
And then the prison keeper shouted
Redeeming love I've found
Moses saw that burning bush
And he walked it 'round and 'round
And then the lord said, "Moses
You're treading on holy ground"
Eve in the garden
Beneath that sycamore tree
And then Eve said, "Adam
Old Satan is a-tempting me"
Dry bones in the valley
Got up and took a little walk
And then the rich could hear
And the poor in the valley could talk
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15. |
Fields of Wonder
03:14
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Across the bridge where angels dwell
Across the bridge where angels
Across the bridge where angels dwell
Children play
[chorus]
Close your eyes in fields of wonder
Close your eyes and dream
Close your eyes in fields of wonder
Close your eyes and dream
Beyond the place where time is still
Beyond the place where time is
Beyond the place where time is still
Night is day
Beyond the place where heaven lies
Beyond the place where heaven
Beyond the place where heaven lies
All is clear
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Becky & Nicole Northampton, Massachusetts
With Becky’s background in shapenote music and Nicole’s in sea chanteys and maritime music, Becky & Nicole sing a wide variety of traditional and trad-adjacent songs with haunting harmonies, beautiful poetry, and fun choruses that get everyone singing. They began singing together at Swarthmore College over a decade ago and have been dear friends, music partners, and roadtrip buddies ever since. ... more
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