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Lullaby Of London Lyrics
As I walked down by the riverside
One evening in the spring
Heard a long gone song
From days gone by
Blown in on the great North wind
Though there is no lonesome corncrake's cry
Of sorrow and delight
You can hear the cars
And the shouts from bars
And the laughter and the fights
May the ghosts that howled
Round the house at night
Never keep you from your sleep
May they all sleep tight
Down in hell tonight
Or wherever they may be
As I walked on with a heavy heart
Then a stone danced on the tide
And the song went on
Though the lights were gone
And the North wind gently sighed
And an evening breeze coming from the East
That kissed the riverside
So I pray now child that you sleep tonight
When you hear this lullaby
May the wind that blows from haunted graves
Never bring you misery
May the angels bright
Watch you tonight
And keep you while you sleep
One evening in the spring
Heard a long gone song
From days gone by
Blown in on the great North wind
Though there is no lonesome corncrake's cry
Of sorrow and delight
You can hear the cars
And the shouts from bars
And the laughter and the fights
Round the house at night
Never keep you from your sleep
May they all sleep tight
Down in hell tonight
Or wherever they may be
Then a stone danced on the tide
And the song went on
Though the lights were gone
And the North wind gently sighed
And an evening breeze coming from the East
That kissed the riverside
So I pray now child that you sleep tonight
When you hear this lullaby
May the wind that blows from haunted graves
Never bring you misery
May the angels bright
Watch you tonight
And keep you while you sleep
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The North wind blows out of the desolate reaches of Loss, Death and the Past. The City of London is cut off from a past that remembers "the corncrake's cry," though not all of the Past is comforting, as a prayer goes out for all the howling ghosts to "sleep tight down in Hell tonight." A "wind that blows from haunted graves" may recall the misery of the Homeland, but the lonely singer prays that bright angels watch over his child this night. Ireland, ruined by England and London, is haunted by the horrors of invasion, repression and degradation, and the Irish singer must now willingly labor in London as a factory slave to keep his child warm and safe on the other shore of the Sea of Troubles.
Amazingly no comment here.... beautiful song on a great album ! True poet here, mr. Macgowan
This song has a wonderful, odd feeling combining loneliness and peace. Reminds me of a long walk to nowhere in particular.
Beautiful poetry is right. His lyrics should be published as poetry on their own. May have been rock music's greatest romantic poet.
The lyrics are right, but it always had an emotional effect on me when I misheard 'And the North Wind shall decide' instead of ' . . .gently sighed'. As in, our fate lies at the whim of the winds.