ARCTIC
SONG - Songtexts
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RAVENS RAFT
(Laine / Hill)
If
civilised man fails to cherish and preserve the Arctic from global warming
Raven`s Raft the Arctic people`s mythological equivalent to Noah`s Ark
could set sail once again
Would there be any room on Raven`s Raft for such glorious creatures as the
splendid Siberian Tiger, the ethereal snowy owl or the mysterious unicorn
horned narwhal who could all face extinction
If we wish to share the beauty and magic of this threatened land to
preserve this purifying element of our planet then we need to understand
the soul of its people and wildlife
WE
NEED TO HEAR THEIR ARCTIC SONG
RAVENS
RAFT
(Laine / Hill)
To
find the Arctic Song, the road is hard and long
so
I must flap my wings, I have the power to destroy all things
we`ll
put them to the test and delay them in our qest
to
see if they deserve to win the prize
black
smoke will turn to fire as the flames grow higher and higer
the
sound of breaking ice will hide their cries
So
call the animals, prepare them for a major task
and
teach them, snowy owl, to build and sail the raven`s raft
When
the wolves arrive the bears contrive
to
demonstrate their skill
for
the first time ever they work together
maybe
now they always will
With
the eagle, lynx, musk ox, beaver, silver fox around
the
task at hand was quickly planned and soon they were ocean bound
pulled
by the narwhal and the whale
with
the eagle overhead
they
set a course to cross the Bering Sea
the
elk and wolverine were keeping watch
when
someone said
a
heavy storm is coming from the east
So
call the animals, prepare them for a major task
there
are two human beings floating towards the Raven`s Raft
we
are the animals prepared to undertake this task
there
are two human beings floating towards the Raven`s Raft
IN
THE FOREST
(Laine
/ Hill)
The
rain falls down upon the treetops
and
then it drips onto the forest floor
the
earth begins to come alive
precious
water on which we all survive
In
the Forest
The
sun gives the heat
and
the damp grows the seed
the
plant bears the fruit
vital
food we all need
The
air that everything relies on
depends
upon how well we treat the land
without
the plant life and the trees
there
would be no more oxygen to breathe
In
the Forest
Fires
burn so bright
every
day and every night
and
everything dies
we
have tears in our eyes
In
the Forest
CRYSTAL VISION
(Laine
/ Hill)
It`s
never too late to change your direction
there`s
always a way to turn on the light
so
don`t hesitate to ask for protection
we
all need to say what we feel to be right
Crystal,
crystal vision
Look
up to the sky; face up to the danger
it`s
pointless to hide our heads in the sand
we
all have to try, have faith in the stranger
and
fight by his side, won`t you all lend a hand
Crystal,
crystal vision
It`s
our destiny that hangs in the balance
we
all hold the key that opens the door
and
everyone has their own special talents
that
makes life on Earth really worth living for
Crystal,
crystal vision
LANDBRIDGE
(Laine
/ Hill)
To
our forefathers
this
sea was once the land
knowing
no boundaries
they
travelled hand in hand
But
now that land is a frozen waste
we
must prepare to go in haste
to
bridge the gap between west and east
to
seal the bond between man & beast
We
travel on the ice and snow
follow
the trail of the Eskimo
as
military bases grow
over
the Landbridge
We
see that there is much to do
many
new doors that we must go through
new
places that we must get through
over
the Landbridge
Once
missionaries came this way
they
taught the Inuit to kneel and pray
beneath
the shadow of Mount McKinley
they
introduced Christianity
across
the International Date Line
they
built a town around a goldmine
when
we get there we will have to face
all
the changes that have taken place
We
travel on the ice and snow
follow
the trail if the Eskimo
as
military bases grow
over
the Landbridge
YELENA
(Laine
/ Hill)
Yelena,
I`m gonna start telling the world
how
much of a hell of a girl I think you are
Yelena,
you put up with more than enough
they
say that the times that we live in are tough
but
you pass through with flying colours
I
don`t know anyone I would prefer as a lover
I
don`t know anyone I would trust more as a friend
Yelena,
I wish I could find the right words
and
say them like you`ve never heard them said before
and
Yelena, the time that we`re spending apart
has
opened my eyes and my heart
and
I know now that I`ve never needed a woman more, and
I
don`t know anyone I would prefer as a lover
I
don`t know anyone I would trust more as a friend
I
don`t know anyone I would prefer as a lover
I
don`t know anyone I would trust more as a friend
Yelena,
Yelena, Oh Yelena
LAW OF LIFE
(Laine / Hill)
The
law of life is clear and strong
(don`t
let go, hold on tight to what you know)
if
you can get it right, you can`t go wrong
(know
yourself, don`t put the blame on someone else)
Take
what you need and give what you can
if
you never know greed you`re an honourable man
this
is law of life
The
law of life will make you wise
(it`s
not too late, everyone should communicate)
don`t
expect a reward and you`ll be surprised
(follow
through, do the things that you want to do)
Respect
the Earth and cherish the sky
and
the river of knowledge will never run dry
this
is the law of life
The
law of life will guide us on
(go
with the tide, ride the waves to the other side)
it`s
up to all of us to be as one
(hand
in hand, we can save this threatened land)
Fortunes
may come and fortunes may go
but
the terasures of nature should never run low
this
is the law of life
the
law of life
SHADES
OF ARCTIC BLUES
(Laine
/ Hill / Segal)
Have you ever seen the colours ofnthe northern
sky
or the evergreens that climb a snowy
mountainside
or the dawn with its infinite hues
or the shades of Arctic blues
Have you ever seen the icy crystals in the snow
melt into a stream that turns to rivers as they
flow
to the sea, and magically fuse
with the wonderful Arctic blues
Where in the world is there such sweet seclusion
far from the maddening crowd
ribbons of dreams reflecting our confusions
drifting away like clouds
Have you ever seen the sunrise in an Arctic land
silent and serene, a picture just as nature
planned
for us all, an incredible view
and those shades of Arctic blues
Where in the world is there such sweet seclusion
far from the maddening crowd
ribbons of dreams reflecting our confusion
drifting away like clouds
like clouds
like clouds
MEDICINE WHEEL
(Laine / Hill)
Day has come the time is right
to pass from darkness into light
beyond the limit of time and space
to follow the path a shaman takes
To the celestial rose of the galaxy
to the source of the great energy
to ride on the wheel of the zodiac
through the pages of life`s almanac
Imagine the world is medicine wheel
healing itself as it turns
a part of it may seem to wither and die
while another part lives and learns
So as I place the stones I found
into a circle on the ground
think of each one as a star
that shines upon our friends afar
To take away the shadows cast
by foolish actions in the past
to help us to abolish war
and live in peace for evermore
YELLOWKNIFE
(Laine / Hill)
Far beyond the frozen sea
the Yukon and theHudson Bay
across the Northwest Territories
upon the shores of Lake Slavey
Is Yellowknofe, Yellowknife
where panning for gold is a way of life
the Indians named it long ago
they studk a golden dagger in the snow
Coloured beads and bureaucrats
hunters with eagle feathers in their hats
where history blends with computer minds
the caribou herds and the oil pipelines
and mountain cats that prop up the bar
at 50 degrees below the demon drink and
cabin fever the broken glass in the snow
Yellowknife, Yellowknife
where panning for gold is a way of life
Friends of the Earth stand on the shore
take what they need and nothing more
while others play with nature`s laws
pour concrete on the forest floor
Yellowknife, Yallowknife
where the will to survive is a way of life
the old and the new go hand in hand
they`re building a future in no man`s land
Across the great lake the north wind howl
out on the tundra the animals growl
the sheets of ice like great white sails
the husky teams follow ancient trails
The rhythm and rhyme of the passing of time
is way beyond man`s control but most people
there they
really do care the wilderness is the heart and
soul of Yellowknife
MY SIBERIA
(Laine / Hill)
When the polar night is filled with
constellations
for a whole two months each year
it`s a welcome sight, the sun on the horizon
when the air is crystal clear
Iwas born on the edge of the forest
my Father traps the ermine for their fur
though it breaks my heart
it`s a struggle for survival
In My Siberia
When the midnight sun shines on throughout the
summer
where wild bears and tigers roam
I was taught to live in harmony with nature
and to make this place my home
If I see any animals in danger
fearing that extinction may occur
Iwill set them free in the hope that they may
flourish
In My Siberia
FLAGSONG
(Laine / Hill)
Driven by the prospect of fortune and fame
early polar explorers had no sense of shame
with a burning desire to conquer the land
and the blood of their victims still fresh on
their hands
they discovered a passage to the Northwest
frontier
left behind them a trail of destruction and fear
Planting flags for their countries for all eyes
to see
staking claims for their nations
in the unmapped territory
An Englishman first named Frobisher Bay
then came Robert E. Peary from the USA
their only ambition and their ultimate goal
was to be the first man to reach the North Pole
So they traded in whiskey tobacco and guns
causing conflict between native fathers and sons
and the howl of the wind and the sound of the
ice
was replaced by the dollar and the roll of the
dice
Now the once barren landscape is a nuclear zone
and the super powers talk on the red telephone
Planting flags for their countries for all eyes
to see
staking claims for their nations
in the unmapped territory
Are we too deaf to listen refusing to see
that the more that we cling to the less we are
free
and the bombs that are tested and wells that are
drilled
are just more greedy pockets that crave to be
filled
can it be that or values are finally lost
as the clouds gather over the white permafrost
Planting flags for our countries for all eyes to
see
staking claims for our nations
in the unmapped territory
THE STRANGER
(Laine / Hill)
For many centuries our planet Arcturus
has been free from pollution and wars
now a new danger is heading our way
and our neighbouring star is the cause
Due to the hole in the Earth`s ozone layer
leaking poisonous fumes into space
we must do something
in order to slow down the pace
We`ve tried to explore
we`ve sent ships before
If they get too near
they all disappear
It`s impossible
we`re incompatible
But by a twist of fate now that the hole is
there
we can penetrate Earth`s atmosphere
let me prove to you that there is nothing to
fear
I shall be the one to volunteer
All I can see as I enter this world
is a pure clean and white wonderland
there are no factories polluting the air
it`s a sight I don`t quite understand
GHOST OF THE SCRIMSHAW CARVER
(Laine / Hill)
Landlubbers have awoken me, releasin` of me body
from the bottom of the sea
where me bones have laid since 1883
I`m the Ghost of the Scrimshaw Carver
As a cabin boy aboard the Ocean Spray, out of
Liverpool we sailed to Baffin Bay
`cross the Greenland Sea for to hunt the mighty
whale
Hold steady there the beauty blows, bring her
round to starboard and steady as she goes
and me old sea daddy taught me all he knows
I`m the Ghost of the Scrimshaw Carver
Over there she blows I heard the lookout say,
off the starboard bow not half a mile away
and the sea turned red as we took his life that
day
Whale blubber a needle and a stone, I carved a
pretty picture on a piece of whale bone
for to make some pennies for me family back home
I`m the Ghost of the Scrimshaw Carver
The harpoon missed it`s mark, a great whale
stood his ground
making his escape he dived and pulled us down
all hands on board were lost and never found
Landlubbers have awoken me, releasin` of me
spirit from the bottom of the sea
where me bones have laid since 1883
I`m the ghost of the Scimshaw Carver
Hold steady there the beauty blows, bring her
round to starboard and steady as she goes
and me old sea daddy taught me all he knows
I`m the Ghost of the Scrimshaw Carver
PRECIOUS TREE
(Laine / Hill)
What are we doing burning the jungle
killing the wildlife, polluting the air
never replanting, changing the balance,
causing such damage we never repair
Precious Tree
Are we blind can`t we see
we`re all part of a family tree
the roots are deep, the bond is strong
we help each other when things go wrong
if we destroy that tree, where would all mankind
be
we would fight endlessly
there`d be no peace, no harmony
What are we doing causing destruction
eating fast food without asking the price
holes in the ozone cause global warming
raising sea levels by melting the ice
Precious Tree
The rubber and palm tree, the amazon cedar
brazil nut and mahogany, rosewood acacia
myrtle the magic tree of love
orchids, medicines and drugs
Jaguars, toucans, tapirs, iguanas
parrots, monkeys and giant anacondas
Precious Tree
SETO NAIKAI (INLAND SEA)
(Laine / Hill)
Long before my people settled in Hokkaido the
waters of Seto Naikai were
pure and clear, we inhabited four islands and
were known as the Ainu
and were originally from Siberia. We bathed and
fished and dove for pearls
in crystal clear lagoons we worshipped the
rising sun and the changing moons.
We must go back in time
to the days when our nation was losing it`s mind
lost in a world of our own how could we be so
blind
to the things that were changing before our ows
eyes
creating monsters we came to despise
Chemical factories dumping waste
the fish on our table had a horrible taste
children were born without any limbs
such a price to pay for all our sins
We were caught in a trap
thinking progress would earn us a place on the
map
now we were faced with a problem and had to act
fast
to be first to reverse all the damage we`d done
be an example to everyone
So life returned to the Inland Sea
and with it came prosperity
our hearts were filled with pride and joy
we had saved the home of the turtle boy
THE VOYAGE TO AMAZONIA
(Laine / Hill)
As we journey to the sky
looking down from way up high
we can see the earth below
where we are I do not know
The sea is blue reflecting light
the land is green instead of white
we think we are in paradise
no sign of any snow or ice
We all agree we cannot wait
to
go down and investigate
as we descend we start to choke
confronted by a wall of smoke
The intense heat makes us perspire
we`re heading for a forest fire