Turning of the Year

Words: J.B. Goodenough            Music:  Gordon Bok        

 

Judy Goodenough, whose three volumes of poetry were a tribute to a tough and wily mind, has given us many songs over the years.  She sent these verses as additional thoughts to my song "hearth and Fire" (by my request).  They seemed so unique and self-standing that I made this tune for them and made a chorus of the second verse.  (GB)

 

Dark the sky, dark the land, dark the running sea

oh lay your hand upon my hand

and share the night with me

 

Chorus

To friends we had and foes we had and those that held us dear

We raise the glass to lad and lass at turning of the year

 

One more road, one more hill, one more stony shore

One more river to cross until

we're going home once more

 

Chorus

 

Fish for silver, dig for gold, so run the years away

And when we're weary, when we're old

we come back home to stay

 

Chorus

 

So friend or foe, we wish you ease

however far you roam

Who sail the seven salty seas

or walk the hills of home

 

Chorus

 

 

Turning of the Year is recorded on the album Harbors of Home and is in the songbook One to Sing, One to Haul