A WINTERS DAY

IN A RAIL YARD, EAST CLEVELAND

THE SNOW LIES WHITE

AND UN-WALKED

THEN A MAN LOOKS OUT

INTO MY EYES

FROM OH SO MANY YEARS AGO

HE SAYS;

YOU ARE THE FUTURE

AND I THE PAST

BUT I KNEW YOU’D PASS THIS WAY

IF YOU THINK OF ME

NOW AND THEN

I WILL NEVER FADE AWAY

When the storm clouds break
I’ll go down to the shoreline
And I’ll look way out to sea
Till I see your sails
On the horizon
When the boat comes home
Home to me

How many tides have passed
Since we last
Stood on this shore
Time seems to go so fast
But the heart still yearns for more

I was oh so young
As I watched you departing
And I stood here all alone
But I’m here once again
And I reach out to hold you
As the boat comes home
When the boat comes home.

There’ll be tears of joy
As we watch you returning
And we’ll greet you on the shore
And we’ll take you home
Safe in the valley
When the boat comes home
Home once more

FIRE AND WATER
THEY ARE WORLDS APART
LIKE THE STEEL IN YOUR SOUL
AND THE LOVE IN YOUR HEART
BUT THEN FIRE AND WATER
COME TOGETHER AT LAST
WHERE THERE’S HOPE FOR THE FUTURE
AND PRIDE IN THE PAST

The river rose
And flowed so strong
Drove out the people
Who’d lived here so long
But the people returned
Reclaimed their land
A fire burns
As united they stand

My journey ends here with you
I know you feel the same way too
My Journey ends at the start
Right here in you heart

Safe and sound
Here with you
After all that we’ve been through
There were times
Now and then
We almost thought of giving in
Searching for a distant dream
But dreams come true and Ö

My journey ends here with you
I know you feel the same way too
My Journey ends at the start
Right here in you heart
And now I know the reason you were sent
To journey through life as my friend
You are my journey’s end

Though we have travelled so far
My home is wherever you are

My journey ends here with you
I know you feel the same way too
My Journey ends at the start
Right here in you heart
And now I know the reason you were sent
To journey through life as my friend
You are my journey’s end
On you I can always depend
You are my Journey’s End

This post and the media contained in it is licensed under a Creative Commons License.
This post and the media contained in it is licensed under a Creative Commons License.

because……..

YOU WERE THERE
LOOKING THROUGH MY EYES
YOU WERE THERE
SEEING THE SAME SKIES
AND WHENEVER WE’RE APART
WHEN I LOOK INTO MY HEART
YOU’LL BE THERE

WHEN I THINK OF ALL THE THINGS I’D SEEN
WAS IT IN THE WORLD OR IN A DREAM
IS IT MAKING SENSE AT ALL
I WAS SO FAR FROM HOME
BUT I WAS NEVER ALONE

because……….

YOU WERE THERE
LOOKING THROUGH MY EYES
YOU WERE THERE
SEEING THE SAME SKIES
AND WHENEVER WE’RE APART
WHEN I LOOK INTO MY HEART
YOU’LL BE THERE

With you in my heart
Just where you belong
Like A Part Of Me
Together we we are so strong

By Earsdon Church I saw one day
as I was walking home
a sad and lonely place
where stands a silent stone
This silent stone it told to me
a tale of working men
but how could these be miners
when some were only ten

The story now was fading
in nineteen ninety nine
I decided then that I must make
a journey back in time

And so I climbed aboard a ship
and down the years I flew
landed in New Hartley in 1862

At this point there is a monalogue written by Tom Kelly

The miners marched along this road
Their coffins passed all day
My eyes could take no more of this
And so I turned away

By Earsdon Church I came again
And standing all alone
A sad and lonely place
Beside a silent stone

Beside a silent stone

Click here to hear this song performed by the Steve Thompson band recorded live at the Customs House South Shields (UK)

The Silent Stone

The Story Behind This Song

Earsdon is a picturesque village in North Tyneside close to Whitley Bay. The church at Earsdon, St Albans creates a typically English scene of a church on a hilltop, surrounded by trees and is a sight that can be seen for miles around. (see above)

Tucked away behind the church, under a leafy canopy and surrounded by thorns and brambles, is a memorial to the 204 miners who lost their lives in the 1862 disaster at Hartley Pit. This is a very quiet place and the visit is made even more poignant when you notice that the youngest names on the monument are those of miners only 10 years old! There are others of 11 and 12 and many have the same name so possibly father and son(s) of many families were killed. I have heard that the funeral procession through Earson Village took many hours to pass. The pictures below may give you an indication of the atmosphere at this memorial.

I posted a web page with pictures about this and have since been contacted by many people who have some connection with the story. One man, Mike Kirkup had written a book about mining in which there was a journalist of the day’s account of teh 10 days of teh unfolding dister. This book became my “time machine” by which I travelled in order to write this song.

The “Time Machine”

Please respect my copyright. I am aware that lyrics are all over the Internet so if you do reprint any of these please at least credit me with my full name and a link back to this site.

I walk down the street
With time on my hands
The signs on the walls
Show far off lands
But I don’t know a soul
In this neighbourhood
Can afford the fair
They’re stuck here for good

The only way
I’ll ever see the world
Is if I can become
A rich mans girl
Use my body
To twist his mind
Steal his money
And leave him behind

Paris by Air
Such a beautiful sight
There’s nothing can compare
With Paris by night
Paris by air
The signpost said
I’d love to be there
But I don’t have the bread

Well who could be happy
With what they’ve got
When the signs in the street
Show them what they have not
Paris by Air
Try it and see
But the common people
Will never be free

And growing up
Can be such a pain
Cos you never have things
So easy again
You realise
What it’s all about
You’re in prison
And you can’t break out

note – the lyrics here are the originals as sung by Toni Haliday. I changed them slightly to work for a male singer.

Recorded by The Tygers Of Pan Tang

Recorded by Toni Haliday

Please respect my copyright. I am aware that lyrics are all over the Internet so if you do reprint any of these please at least credit me with my full name and a link back to this site.

I’ve begun to feel there’s something wrong
Something’s gonna break before too long
I don’t know the reason for this feeling
And I can’t put my finger on what’s wrong

Do you feel it too is it so strong?
Do you feel it too or am I wrong
I’ve begun to get a sneaking feeling
That this is not the way that it should be.

I don’t wanna be the one to say goodbye
I don’t wanna look the problem in the eye
I don’t wanna be the first to say
That maybe we should both call it a day
I don’t wanna be the one to say goodbye
I could be wrong

What if I should throw it all away?
Just to want you back again someday
I find it hard to keep my feelings from you
But really is there any other way.

Is this always used to be?
Has it really changed or is it me

Recorded by The Searchers

Please respect my copyright. I am aware that lyrics are all over the Internet so if you do reprint any of these please at least credit me with my full name and a link back to this site.