+ Amazing Things
White clouds cover the whole of the earth
Concorde flies through the skies to the States
Lifetimes in memory, flesh being born
But this is the age of invisible dawn
And the man from the government says, have a good time
Through stench and starvation night never falls
There's flies on the skeletons, shapes on the wall

And the masters of flattery colour the trees
They walk on the oceans, put the town under siege
The king of humanity sleeps in despair
Walking out in the morning with his hands in the air
There's zealots in anger, divine extreme s
Emotional half-lives, disposable dreams
Rumours of cease-fire inherit the streets
This is the war of the pure and the meek

But flowers still open, flowers still close
Re-arranged molecules, miracle cures
And I can still love you, call you my own
Till the blooms turn to doubt
Till the angels come home

These days are overgrown in truth
Under the sun there's nothing new

As I draw my latest breath
Amazing things are done on earth

+ Wonderful
When all the world is quite and still
And doubts run deep as the ocean
Through troubled years and broken dreams
To the place where all silence has spoken

Immeasurable, invisible
The moment golden before me
I will walk with you through the beautiful gate
My hands and heart wide open

So wonderful, too wonderful
So wonderful, too wonderful

+ The Greatest Flame
Like shadows on the wall
You come and you go
Through the streets
And the rain that falls down
On our sin
No more goodbyes
Forever this way
Whenever the greatest flame in the world
Starts burning

Always in your eyes
A waking of souls
We gaze out on the road
That brought us up
To this place
The signposts never change
We'll go where they lead
Whenever the day to break us come
We'll not give in

This is our life, and our time
And nothing is ever going to break us
Now we're on our own
That is our place in our lives
And no one can ever change this moment
Or pull this mountain to the ground

Live the day when the flame is strong
Live the day when the flame is strong
Come the day when love is gone
Take it over, take it over

+ Move a Mountain
There's a place
Where's the rocks of Caithness
Lie beside the ocean
On summer days, a waiting grave
In the layers with the pains of generations gone before us
Uranium, your age has come

There's salt and spray
On the beaches of the island that I came from
Caesium, the change will come
Across the waves
From Sellafield you came in unseen wonder
A life begun, a chain undone

And from hollow mouths of grey
It's the future and it's safe
So let the children play

One glance away
Civilisation on the streets of California
The burning nights before my eyes
Savage times
In the courtrooms and the subways of frustration
Crucify, crucify

Because man rules the waves
The rocks, the roads, the lanes
And all the cities of the plains

Move a mountain
Fill the ground
Take death on wheels
Re-create the land

And we'll all be long blown rushes
When all the word's a flame

+ Pog Aon Oidhche Earraich (A kiss one spring evening)
An saoghal sia uairean
Obair la ri cùl
Teaghlach gabhal dhan a' mheas
Pailteas, slàinte is gaol
An Ruis a' tuiteam sios mu'm chluasan
An Ear Mheadhain am brot cho dorch
Is thusa, uilc is a' mhuirt is a' shabaid
Na mo bheatha a h-uile oidhche

An greim cho teann 's cho àraid
Mar òrd na mo dhorn
A 'ghealach ' bha cho soilleir
'S a gheall a leithid dhuinn
Bha sinn mar longan seòlaidh
Air cuan buidhe òg a 'chridhe
Mu coinneamh clann an t-saoghal's theaghlaich
Gun ghuth no gaire, Dia no biadh

"Cò às an d'thàinig na reultan", thuirt mi
"Co as an d'thàinig grian"
Tha sinn cho leòinte fo a' ghealaich seo
Anam cràidhte seachad air ifrinn fhèinn
Ach tha thusa brosnachadh nam bliadhnaichean
Le saidhbreas seachad air mo dhith
Cho geal ri sneachd gach uile gheamhradh
An t-òran gaoil m'fhaosaid chiontach fhèin

O luaidh be siod an gràdh
A dh'fhàg mi ceangailte ruit an dràsd'
Co shaoileadh an rud a dh'fhàs
Bho phog aon oidhche earraich

O luaidh be siod an gràdh
A dh'fhàg mi ceangailte ruit an dràsd'
Co shaoileadh an rud a dh'fhàs
Bho phog aon oidhche earraich

traduction

The world at six o'clock
The day's work over
Family, taking the fruits
Of plenty, good health and love
Russia is falling down all around me
The Middle East in a broth of darkness
And you, evil, murder and violence
In my life every evening

The grasp that was so strong and special
Like a hammer in my fist
The moon that was so bright
And promised us so much
We were like sailing ships
On the young, yellow ocean of the heart

Confronted by children and the world family
Without voice, laughter, God or food

"So where do the stars come from", I said
"From where did the sun appear"
We have been so wounded beneath this moon
Souls tortured beyond hell itself
Still you keep bringing inspiration to my years
With blessings beyond my need
Whiter than the snows of each winter
The song of love, my confession of guilt

Oh Love, what a power
That has now left me united with you
Who could have foreseen all that has grown
From one kiss, one spring evening

+ Dream Fields
You can talk the tongue of angels
You can walk the thin white line
Raid your heart's imaginations
Let your thoughts live and run wild
But now all I see is the station
And the boats with the sun in their wake
Looking out on Scalpay dawning
And you drenched in the rain of grace

Walked down the pier road to the deep sea
It was a long confused embrace
But I have seen an awesome beauty
I've seen the tears turn to wine on your face
And I wondered and I trembled
As you held me so close in your arms
With a love that held more learning
Than I could ever understand

I crossed the big years and the waters
For a new and happy land
Trading all that fire of living
For the fickle and the bland
N ow I know that there's nothing
Can evermore put worth in your time
If the spirit never woos
Or moves your paths divine

For the grass grows tall in the dreamfields
But after all is said and done
The only thing that ever matters
Is to love and to be loved

+ Song of the Earth
It was winter on the Mersey
Snow was falling on New York
The boats were coming in from Ireland
A nation drinking round the docks
What do you do when the rain is falling
What do you do when the rain is falling down

Young men are heading back to Europe
Rocking the Reeperbahn at night
We watch the airwaves over Eval
Angels were d ancing in the lights
What do you do when the sun is sinking
What do you do when the sun is sinking low

The chains, slaves, praise and gospel
Burn like the sun in tortured mouths
A hurricane blew out of Memphis
Revolution in the South
What do you do when the sun is beating
What do you do when the sun is beating down

Spirits drink the milk of nation
Singing freedom and release
Cries of mercy rise like rockets
Through the paths of the redeemed
What do you do when the guns are turning
What do you do when the guns are turning round

There was a singer in my bloodstream
And he stayed mainline all my life
His voice filled my Atlantic
A Celtic fire, a soul of white
What do yo u do when your homes are burning
What do you do when your homes are burning down

He wore the beauty of his people
Came to tell it to the world
Human tears, human oceans
The greatest song I've ever heard
What do you do when your hope is raging
What do you do when your hope is raging strong

It was winter on the Mersey
Through the museum on the docks
Through my years, through my failures
To where the white piano stood
What do you do when the rain is falling
What do you do when the rain is falling down

Saw all the singers of the Gaidhealtachd
And all the world could understand
I heard, "maybe I'm a dreamer
But I'm not the only one"
What do you do when the song you're singing
What do you do when the song you're singing's gone

Sing a song of the earth, song of the earth

+ Forever Eyes of Blue
Head of ribbons running down the brae
In the morning, in the morning
Bare-foot sisters and a milking pail
Turning around

At the weekend the boats come in
From the herring, from the herring
Wives and families and the table laid
Turning again

War is over and the boys come home
From the fighting, from the fighting
Love letters and a great unknown
Turning around

Counting your blessings at the village hall
To the dancing, to the dancing
A little loving and a lot of soul
Turning again

You took your beauty and your heart of gold
To the altar, to the altar
Bound forever in an August vow
Turning around

The skies of wonder shone around your door
Little children, little children
Three men who couldn't love you more
Turning again

One door opens and another closed
Oh the parting, oh the parting
New arrivals and a family grown
Turning around

Head of ribbons running down the brae
In the morning, in the morning
Pulling moments from the clock of faith
Turning again

Forver you'll be eyes of blue
In the circle of your youth
Picking every blade of truth
Down the Newton road

+ Sràideann Na Roinn-Eòrpa (Streets of Europe)
Chuir mi mo chùl ri Lunnainn
An samhradh air m' aodann
'S mi air sràidean mòr na Roinn-Eòrpa
'S mi le mo rùn, le m' anam, mo bratach
Mo ghrian, mo ghealach ùr
'S sheas mi 's na àiteachan 's an do sheas m'athair
'S ioma cogadh a tha ann airson saorsa
Dà fhicead bliadhna 's an dileab air fhàgail
Briathran do linn 's do sheòrsa

Bail e beag anns a' Ghearmailt
Gruagach cho bòidheach
Le suilean lan sonas is bròn
Thuirt i, "Am bheil fhios agaibh fhèin, an t-sochair 'tha agaibh
Tha eallach eachraidh air mo ghualainn cho trom"
Chrath sinn lamhan, 's dh'fhalbh i a' seinn
An dàn tha domhainn 's gach anam de dhaoine
Dh'fhag mi i le blas beag de mo dhùthaich
Dh'fhag i mi leis a chompanas ùr

Tha na brataich a' snamh
An cuan de dhathan
Do chànan binn an cluas na Roinn-Eòrpa
Tha na sràidean beò le cainnt 's togair
Sràidean am Babel ur
'S thusa mo rùn, tha cothrom mad choinneamh
Tha do chliù air 'dhol tarsainn an cuan
Thusa tha meanbh, bi làidir, bi àlainn
Taisbean do chànan, bi buan

traduction

I have put London behind me
The summer is on my face
And I am on the big streets of Europe
With my love, my flag
My sun and my new moon
I stood in the places where my father has stood
Many are the wars of freedom
Forty years and the legacy is still with me
The words of his kind and generation

A small town in Germany
A beautiful young girl
Her eyes full of sorrow and joy
She said, "Are you aware of the privilege you enjoy
The burden of history lies heavy on my shoulders"
We shook hands and she went on her way singing
The song that is deep in the soul of all people
I left her with a small part of my own country
She left me with the fellowship of a new age

The flags are swimming
In a sea of colour
My language melodious in the ear of Europe
The streets are alive with conversation and purpose
Possibilities for a new Babel
And you my love have opportunity before you
Your renown has crossed the ocean
You that are the small, be strong, be beautiful
Reveal your great language, be everlasting

+ Canada
A prairie and a wind
Canada on the wire
I'm trading all my fears
And all my desires

I watch your sun go down
A burning amber road
Following the ghosts
Wherever they go

'S chan fhaic mi cladach geal
No achadh cruithneachd 'fàs
Gun sealladh mòr de chradh
'S dealbh de bhàs

A window on the stars
The journey of the few
Watching it all survive
It's all I can do

traduction

And I cannot see a white shore
Or a field of wheat growing
Without the vision of suffering
And the picture of death

+ Ard (High)
Madainn di-haoine 's an dùthaich fo sgòth
'S mi sgith le cuid smalan, mi-mhisneachd is bròn
Seo an deicheamh là dhan a' Ghibhlean 'sinn fo ghruaim a rithist
An co-dhunadh a cheannaich na daoine aig pris

'S iomadh trioblad tha romhainn 'nis Gaidheal agus Gall
'S mi le aon suil air eachdraidh, aon suil air mo chlann
Ach cum creideamh nad bheatha, sonas nad chridhe
Chan e seo deireadh rathaid ach tòiseach linn

Chan urrain dhomh fuireach an taigh 'tha fo sgòth
Ach le creadeamh is dòchas gu deireadh mo là
Tha an lasair nad anam aig meadhan do bhith
Nas laidir 's nas motha na riaghaltas no righ

Tha spiorad nan daoine nas soilleir na ghealach
Nas doimhne na'n cuan
Geibh sinn ar n-àite 'san t-shaoghal
Anns an ginealach ùr, ùr

Ard, blàr nan daoine
Ard, guth is saorsa
Ard, tha sinn gluasad
Gu h-àrd thèid sinn suas

traduction

Friday morning and the country is under a cloud
But I am tired of sorrow, pessimism and gloom
This is the tenth day of April and have been brought low again
The decision that our people have bought at a price

Many troubles now confront us, Highlander and Lowlander
As I keep one eye on history, one eye on my children
Keep belief in your life, joy in your heart
This is not the end of the road but the start of a new age

I can not live in the house of despondency
But in faith and in hope till the end of my days
The spark in your soul is the centre of your whole existence
And it is stronger and brighter than any government or king

The spirit of the people is brighter than the moon
Deeper than the ocean
We will find our place in the world
In a new generation

High, the struggle of the people
High, a voice and self-determination
High, a movement has begun
We will reach up there

+ On the Edge
Instrumental