Ballad of Saint Anne's Reel
(David Mallett)
Intro:
He was stranded in a tiny town on fair Prince Edward Isle
Waiting for a ship to come and find him
A one horse place, a friendly face, some coffee and a tiny trace
Of fiddlin' in the distance far behind him
A dime across the counter then, a shy hello, a brand new friend
A walk along the street in the wintry weather
A yellow light, an open door, and a "Welcome friend, there's room for more
And then they're standing there inside together
He said, "I've heard that tune before somewhere but I can't remember when,
Was it on some other friendly shore, did I hear it on the wind
Was it written on the sky above, I think I heard it from someone I love
But I never heard a sound so sweet since then
And now his feet begin to tap, a little boy says, "I'll take your hat."
He's caught up in the magic of her smile
Leap, the heart inside him went, and off across the floor he sent
His clumsy body, graceful as a child
He said, "There's magic in the fiddler's arms and there's magic in this town
There's magic in the dancers' feet and the way they put them down
People smiling everywhere, boots and ribbons, locks of hair
Laughtcr, old blue suits and Easter gowns"
The sailor's gone, the room is bare, the old piano's setting there
Someone's hat's left hanging on the rack
The empty chair, the wooden floor that feels the touch of shoes no more
Awaitin' for the dancers to come back
And thc fiddle's in the closet of some daughter of the town
The strings are broke, tbe bow is gone and the cover's buttoned down
But sometimes on December nights, when the air is cold and the wind is
right
There's a melody that passes through the town.
Copyright Cherry Lane Music Co., ASCAP
Recorded on Inches and Miles, Mallett
CV
apr96
Thanks to Mudcat for the Digital Tradition!