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Merry​-​Go​-​Round

by Jennifer Crook

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  • Compact Disc (CD) + Digital Album

    Comes in a jewel case including a 12-page booklet with full lyrics and photos from the studio sessions!

    Includes unlimited streaming of Merry-Go-Round via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality download in MP3, FLAC and more.
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1.
Catching Butterflies She sang a song that night A little truth and a little lies I was a child again Out catching butterflies You walked into the room Something flickered and something flew Right into my open hand Not a moment too soon But don't you ask me to dance This heart wouldn't stand a chance 'Cos looking into your eyes Is like catching butterflies I wish I was where you are Laughing out loud in some Irish bar Or walking slowly upon the sand Telling stories and making plans But the distance lies in between And there's miles of 'might have been' For every beautiful thing I know I'm always learning to let them go So don't you ask me to dance This heart wouldn't stand a chance 'Cos looking into your eyes Is like catching those butterflies A lifetime all in one day Destined to fly away And don't you take it as read All the things that we've never said It's all unfolding before my eyes Like catching butterflies A lifetime all in one day Destined to fly Don't you ask me to dance This heart wouldn't stand a chance 'Cos looking into your eyes Is like catching those butterflies A lifetime all in one day Destined to fly away away
2.
When Time Stood Still What do I put in the place of the hole in my heart? The one that was perfectly shaped for you from the start Thunder and lightening there on the stair I was counting the seconds until you were there What if the memory fades? I don't think it will when time stood still It must have been later that year we lost sight of the sun Such a primitive fear, our hearts on the run The darkness came in the middle of the day Thought the world would end as the birds flew away But I'd give anything to be there with you on that hill when time stood still when time stood still when time stood still Like stars in the night all set to collide We sparked off each other like Jeckyll and Hyde Such turbulent souls spinning out of control But the patterns we made were beautiful Don't you remember the winter it fell from the sky? 'Til it covered our streets and messed up our lives In an old junk shop stood (was) a red wooden sleigh We could ride all night, we could ride all day And we laughed and slid all the way down old brass-knocker hill when time stood still when time stood still when time stood still when time stood still
3.
Merry-Go-Round 1. Watching the roundabout See how the children play Feelings worn inside out Everyday your best day Life is a merry-go-round Bringing us up then dropping us down Better hold on or we might hit the ground I think I'd rather be spinning On this merry-go-round 2. Begging for some small alms My mind on other plans A kingdom fell from the sky Into my outstretched hands Life is a merry-go-round Bringing us up then dropping us down Better hold on or we might hit the ground I think I'd rather be spinning On this merry-go-round Riding on eagles wings Hurling through time and space Over the mountains edge I tumbled into a finer place Just like a long-lost friend You ran to be by my side Then you were gone again Oh how you changed my life Here on the merry-go-round Bringing us up then dropping us down Better hold on or we might hit the ground I think I'd rather be spinning On this merry-go-round Watching the roundabout See how the children play
4.
Cowboys 04:03
Cowboys You come around here in your chaps and your old fashioned clothes Stinking of beer, but your smile is still sweet I suppose Since you left town and I grew to be strong I’ve got bread on the table and a place to belong And I won’t give it up for some old-time song if that’s what you’re asking of me I think of you often, like when I'm watching the swallows nest And when the moon rises as bright as your eyes I love you the best When the owls start calling and there’s snow on the barn I think of the last time you lay in my arms “A little adventure won’t do any harm so why won’t you come out with me?” 'Cos I’m too old to be following cowboys down dusty old tracks that don’t lead anywhere Too young to settle for memories of what used to be So please don’t ask me to ride by your side Or watch the sun set at the edge of the sky ‘Cos it’s too hard to kiss you and wave you goodbye when you leave It's true that I've wondered just what I did with my travelling shoes yeah I guess some kinds of freedom can leave a heart bleeding and bruised So pick up your hat, get your boots off the floor, I don’t need to gamble on your love anymore ‘cos if your planning on keeping one foot out the door it looks more like losing to me Too old to be following cowboys down dusty old tracks that don’t lead anywhere Too young to settle for memories of what used to be So please don’t ask me to ride by your side Or watch the sun set at the edge of the sky ‘Cos it’s too hard to kiss you and wave you goodbye when you leave
5.
Come September Do you remember that awful weather and the play went on for hours in the park? We grew closer under your umbrella as the evening sky grew dark I wore my boots to shreds that so-called summer running round the edges of the moon For stolen kisses, midnight dances, the price you pay the piper for the tune And I've always loved the shadows of the autumn And the way the sunlight falls so long and golden And I said you'd have to learn to set me free Now every day of beauty that still lingers Reminds me to be thankful for the gifts that summer brings us The festivals are over, everyone's gone home I'm kicking through the leaves on lovers lane alone And you talked to me of ancient things, and holy springs, and love, And I ran away as fast as I knew how From something that I could not do without And I've always loved the shadows of the autumn And the way the sunlight falls so long and golden Still I never thought I'd fall so easily There's blackberries and apple trees and conkers on the ground And something in the wind I just can't name But one thing that I'm sure of now is change
6.
Coming Down the Road The way the city looks tonight It might as well be paved with gold I can feel it in the air Suddenly he’s there coming down the road The way the rooftops reach so high As if to greet the endless sky Angels dance beneath my feet Heart just skipped a beat coming down the road It might be just around that corner or a change of heart in the night It might be the one you’ve been holding for years that suddenly comes into sight The way the moon graces the sky Only a fool would pass this by It’s written in the stars In the back streets and the bars And it’s coming down the road It might be just around that corner or a change of heart in the night It might be the one you’ve been holding for years that suddenly comes into sight The way the city looks tonight It might as well be paved with gold I can feel it in the air Suddenly he’s there coming down the road Yes I can feel it in the air Suddenly he’s there coming down the road
7.
Probably The Rain It was probably the rain that woke me from my sleep Could've sworn that you were here whispering to me When your on your own you hear things sometimes Thought you were back again, calling out my name But it was probably the rain It was probably the wine that made me talk too much That made a fool of time, got me thinking of your touch Sometimes when you drink you do it to forget Your still on my mind and though your no longer mine, But it was probably the wine For every promise that you gave me was a secret that you kept And secrets burn inside you until there's nothing left It was probably the night playing tricks on me If you take away the light it gets so hard to see They say that love is blind well now I know it's true Just when I hoped you might, you disappeared from sight For every promise that you gave me was a secret that you kept And secrets burn inside you until there's nothing left I heard footsteps in the dark and I knew it must be you That old familiar sound didn't think I'd ever lose I pulled the curtains wide but there was no one there I'm on my own again, how can I explain But it was probably the rain It was probably the rain... When your on your own you hear things sometimes Thought you were back again, calling out my name But it was probably the rain
8.
She Wore Red 03:53
She Wore Red Ruby said it's not like it was in the 60's But it's a beautiful bargain for £25 Each dress that I sell has a story to tell like when I was the belle of the ball Nowadays I just catch the stitches that fall Ruby said we broke all the rules in the 60's And handing me my change she laughed out loud She had a lover who married another and as he walked back up the aisle She lifted up her widows veil and smiled She wore red She wore red Ruby said everyone did in the 60's Things they'd never dream of doing these days Like running naked for half a weeks wages 'cross Westminster bridge for a dare Nowadays everyone's just running scared Suddenly I can see skeletons lurking in cupboards in all of our lives So don't judge a book by it's cover cos you might discover another when you look inside She wore red She wore red roses  She wore red in case he forgot That night they kissed and the whole world stopped Now she'll patch and mend these poor old rags But once upon a time this girl was bad After the vows and the cake and the crowds he found his way back to her bed I don't know if it's true it's just what Ruby said She wore red She wore red roses  She wore red in case he forgot That night they kissed and the whole world stopped She wore red
9.
The Spin 00:41
10.
Baltimore 04:04
Baltimore Sarah works in a laundromat It's what she does, and that's a fact And no one asks where she is from Today is here, the past is gone From Baltimore to Baltimore You wouldn't know me anymore I'm not the one I was before Not here in Baltimore Ring those bells Ring those bells Let them ring out again She has blisters on her hands Is it so hard to understand But freedom can look strange sometimes The heart is young behind the lines From Baltimore to Baltimore...
11.
One Little Song There's got to be a song left to sing Everybody can't of thought of everything One little song that's not been sung One little rhyme that's not been rung out completely yet One little drop of falling rain One little chance to try again One little bird that makes it home every now and then One little piece of endless sky One little taste of cherry pie One little week in paradise And I start thinking There's got to be a song left to sing Everybody can't of thought of everything One little note that's not been used One little words not been abused a thousand times in a thousand rhymes One little drop of falling rain... There's got to be a song left to sing Everybody can't of thought of everything One little song that's not been sung One little rhyme that's not been rung out completely yet That's got a little left

about

"I'm really, really loving the new album Merry-Go-Round - it's beautiful" Bob Harris BBC Radio 2
"Jennifer's expertise for songwriting and arrangement define this accomplished album." Spiral Earth
"An amazing, amazing record, the kind of thing that gives modern folk a good name.” Zeitgeist
"A brilliant new album" Maverick ****
"Utterly beguiling" Properganda

Produced by Boo Hewerdine

credits

released July 11, 2011

Jennifer Crook - Vocals, Guitar, Harps
Boo Hewerdine - Acoustic Guitar, Bass, Mellotron, Vocals
Eddi Reader - Vocals
Darrell Scott - Acoustic Guitar, Mandolin, Dobro, Vocals
Bethany Porter - Cello, Vocals
Kevin McGuire - Double Bass
Dorie Jackson - Vocals
Andy May - Piano, Keyboards
Maclaine Colston - Hammered Dulcimer

Merry-Go-Round
(P) & © Transatlantic Roots 2011
Produced by Boo Hewerdine
Recorded, Mixed and Mastered by Mark Freegard
Kyoti Studio, Glasgow.

All songs © Jennifer Crook PRS/MCPS except:
Tracks 7 and 10 - Hewerdine/Crook
Track 9 - Crook/Porter
Track 11 - Gillian Welch

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Jennifer Crook Bath, UK

"I urge you to give this a listen. This is contemporary songwriting and performing at it's best"****Maverick

Telegraph***Best Folk Albums of 2014 (Carnforth Station)

“I’m really, really loving the new album ‘Merry-Go-Round’ - it’s beautiful” Bob Harris, BBC Radio 2

"Heart-wrenchingly gorgeous music" Roots & Fusion
... more

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