All songs composed and sung by Mike Heron
Call Me Diamond
Dudu Pukwana: piano, alto sax, horn arrangement
Simon Nicol: rythm guitar
Dave Pegg: bass
Mike Kowalski: drums
Call me diamond, call me gold
I have been bought, been sold
I've been hung up, been laid
been exalted, been betrayed
I've been killed, I have been maimed
I've been freed, been tamed.
Oh, come on, come on, dig my mine.
Oh, come on, come on kiss me, kiss me
all along my spine.
Call me diamond, call me gold
Been in the fire so hot, been in the ice so cold
Been in the summer, winter, spring and fall
Been in the everything, I've been in the nothing at all.
Flowers Of the Forest
Richard Thomson: lead guitar
Rose Simpson: bass
Dave Mattacks: drums
Sweet love the words that made you cry
They came from one that don't have love like we do
Even if you'd give him all your sweet love
Probably turn his back and walk away,
Lookin' for a trick and he wouldn't understand
That you just want to stretch out your hand
You know he's closed himself to all the grief and pain that he can't stand
And he's bound his heart with an iron band
Come dry your tears like the sun dries the rain
Deep is the river running through my life
Full shines the sun upon it
The girl I love swims there all day long
You know she is bright as the flowers of the forest
The tender tears in your smiling eyes
They meld me right to my soul
We have to part now for a while
But our lives will cross for ever
You'll bless every place you pass through
So much good in all you do.
I can't understand how anyone could hurt you so bad
So sad to see them hide from what they are
Me I know you like I know the song in my soul
It's gonna be all right
Audrey
John Cale: harmonium, bass
Audrey my dear, I've been waitin' so long for you girl
Won't you let it all come on through
Tonight won't you come and make love to me
Oh Audrey my dear
Just look at us, walin' in the snowy street with our collars ut
I don't want to go to another party, 'cos I've had enough
And you, you look so lovely, I want very much
To take your clothes off and hold you very close
Someplace where it's quiet enough
To feel our love a-growin.
Brindaban
Arrangement by Mike Heron with the
technical assistance of Gerard Dott.
Lately I've seen your face come close in on mine like sunshine
Lately I've heard your voice come close in on mine like sunshine
And I know your life is running close to me
Peacocks in the first, kokilas in the fifth
Sing like Jayadeva
Ma lati, Madhava, how close Brindaban
Feast of Stephen
John Cale: piano, guitar, bass, viola, vocal arrangement
Simon Nicol: guitar
Gecry Conway: drums
Sue Sunny, Liza Strike, John Cale: backing vocals
When winter came this year she found me well prepared for her
The flame well fed with pine, shuttered windows oakwood doors
From the low dales come the fiddler, gave his tunes their flight
Don't know her name or the dance that became her so well
From topmost limb of night's dark tree
Tonight my lantern light floats free
The ladies danced so well, the ladies danced so light
But it was not mortal step drew me from my guests to meet the night
Snow lies deep with friends unseen
I will light my eyes to Venus green
Holding my life with a hope
When the midnight skies rise,
She flies---
Spirit Beautiful
Vemu Mukanda, Mohana Lakshmipathy: veena
Vshailendra: tambura
P.R.Money: mridangam, moorsing
Heather Wood, Dr. StrangelyStrange: backing vocals
Glow little spark glow brightly in the embers of dying fire
See the people come run to their windows
What manner of lightning this
Oh spirit, spirit beautiful
Oh spirit, spirit beautiful
Swim little bubble swim lightly, bubble on a silent pool
See the people come run to their windows
What manner of ocean this
Grow little seed grow brightly resting in a nest of earth
See the people come run to their windows
What manner of lighning this
Warm Heart Pastry
"Tommy and the Bijoux": guitar, bass, drums
John Cale: viola
Sue Sunny, Liza Strike: backing vocals
Hey I know your faces and you've sent them here before
Drinking my wine, dropping your ash on my floor, I'm waiting
And when you call, bring it all
I'm thin and I'm getting thinner
Hey I'm a hungry man and you know I ain't taling 'bout grits
Yeah I'll bid for the puzzle 'cos I think I know how it fits
You could be fat as a hog, still you want to chew it
One day you're gonna find out - hot dog doesn't do it
Warm heart pastry
Talkin' bout warm hot pastry sure nuf I am
Hey I'm a hungry man and you know I ain't talkin'bout grits
Just look at you, you got a sour lemon stuck where a smile oughta fit
Beautiful Stranger
John Cale: piano, harmonium, brass arrangement
Pat Donaldson: bass
Gerry Conway: drums
Tony Cox: VCS 3
Soft lapped the bark boats
A wounded shoulder hurt me not
Snake - like branches quietly hid my eyes so bright in the swamp-red sun
Soft edged the foreign words
Coloured by the dark waves splash in the mist
Brown the breasts and purple-stained
Dye deep-pounded with the stone
The warm wind now lifts the haze
I looked and I caught my breath
And I raised my head up high
And I shouted out loud in my soul
Beautiful stranger I'm glad I found you
Bright the sky above my head
Streaked with red and yellow wing
Warm the mud between my toes
Darkest green the inland trail
Distant now the bark boats
Golden beads on silver wire of sea
Long bathed by salty spray
Visions float on the dry earths smell
Drifting back through younger days
I looked and I caught my breath
And I shouted out loud in my soul
Beautiful stranger I'm glad I found you
Moist and cool the river bank
Laid me down against a tree
Remembering as in a dream
Shoulder cut in the dark waves splash
In that place no wound there was
Only a ring of finest bronze there gleamed
Soft lapped the back boats
Brown the breasts and purple stained
River green reflect the gaze
I looked and I caught my breath
And I raised my head up high
And I shouted out loud in my soul
Beautiful stranger I'm glad I found you
No Turning Back
No turing back I gave a small cry
Stirring in your sleep you caught my thought
So close and so far is a bad way to leave you
Once more the sea shore dry
Next time around lover
Next time around redeemer
Next time around saviour
We'll put our love together and sing
Remember, through it all I loved you
And you knew I loved you
So it wasn't such a bad one
Son it wasn't such a bad one
No brother but
Oh - next time around
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