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Rowing Back Down My River

by Tony Prescott

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1.
March nights in Glen Lyon listen to the river flow In every patch of sky a star still waiting for the moon’s glow Three hours to light a fire that was just enough to warm our hands by Climb inside our tent is a nest, when you hold me we both fly Frosty dawn by the loch side, I can hear the Woodpecker tap Look out for the Splodge Monster, he will get you when you turn your back Snowstorm in Christmas trees when we were looking for the fox’s den Climb on board our tent is a boat Sail around the world and now we’re home again And I can’t talk to anyone but you And I don’t understand what the worried people do Shelter, food and love is all we need In the mountains, by the river, underneath the trees A small part of the natural world the way it was meant to be Living like animals Feels like the real me Living like animals, maybe we’re young maybe the fall will come We’re living like Adam and Eve Animals, there’s nothing wrong with being animals
2.
Times when I’ve heard those familiar words And I’ve felt there was nothing to add Don’t make waves from cradle to grave Avoid all the troubles I’ve had A higher ideal can lose its appeal When friends disapprove you can fast make a move To accept the acceptable views the majority holds To stand on your own becomes a thing you’ve out-grown Getting old, feel the cold, you return to the fold Where the faces around seem to say—don’t make waves There are times when I’ve felt I’m betraying myself To listen and not say a word The things that they say—the scenes that they play Sometimes seem so absurd But after the laughter I’ve had to surmise That my right to reply has been swept aside And when I think about it, it does nothing but make me sad I’ve been swept along like a leaf in the storm I’ve been stuck in the crowd afraid to shout out loud All the faces around seem to say—don’t make waves
3.
Reach out and take a hold of the sun If it burns your palm will you know you were wrong? The eye of the world looks down the barrel of the gun Will we stem the tide or will we watch it come? Will we make or choice of will we just look on? And be blown away when the battle’s done? Man of stone you’ve got to get off the phone You’ve got to look ahead into the great unknown Man of gold knows how to make you pay the price Man of rain is going to wash to away your life (rights) Man of wire is going to start the fire To burn inside the new men of stone Don't tell me that they’re here again Don’t tell me you’re the new stone men The beast in its layer, the wolf in its den Have all lost their share to the new stone men Do you think you care do you remember when? There was flesh and blood before the new stone men? Chorus Move quickly now while there’s something to defend There’s no room for remorse among the new stone men Choose carefully now we may not choose again There’s no turning back among the new stone men Sleep uneasily now, what power guides the pen Or the hearts and minds of the new stone men?
4.
Like a Child 03:42
Friends of mine say some amazing things And some of them write good prose Talking about God and about personal visions Makes me wish I had stories of my own Exaggerate opinions but my words are clumsy Losing heart becoming withdrawn And at times I just here and smile When I feel like a child I behave like a child I wish I could open myself up to you If I felt less unsure I might try And make the commitments that Ive been avoiding But I find it so hard to let go The more I think about it the worse it seems I lose the delusion I don’t want to be loved And on the surface things begin to go wild I behave like a child When I feel like a child Embarrassed and aggressive both point to the same thing I don't want to come to terms with the me I know And I refuse to believe that you could love me When there’s people beside me offering more Anxious to avoid a misunderstanding Unhappy with the sound of what I say When I can’t get your attention with style I behave like a child And I feel like a child
5.
Rachel 01:47
How come you’re never there when I telephone And I’m here on my own? You’ve been to Spain and you came back again And all the time I was at home And did you think about me on that train? You know I’ve got you on the brain Oh I’m crazy, I’m crazy, I’m crazy ‘bout Rachel I would have liked to see you last night But you were out with your friends Don’t want to take up too much of your time But you can have all of mine Girl you make me so excited But will my love go unrequited I’m crazy, I’m crazy, I’m crazy ‘bout Rachel
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about

"Rowing back down my river. Chasing my tail to the sea.
Rowing back down my river. Trying my best to be me."
John Martyn, 1948-2009

These tracks were recorded on a Fostex four-track way back in the 20th century on the island of Iona and in Edinburgh. Some tracks have been now complemented with additional instruments while remastering.

credits

released March 31, 2022

Two tracks were collaborations, the folk song "Brume o' the Cowdenknowes" with a German guitarist/singer called Thomas, whose surname I sadly dont recall, and "The Sea" an ambient piece made with the multi-instrumentalist Ewan Mathers.

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about

Tony Prescott Sheffield, UK

Guitarist and tune-smith based in South Yorkshire UK. Playing acoustic folk and folk rock with some adventures in ambient. More at tonyjprescott.com

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