September seventeen
For a girl I know it’s mother’s day
Her son has gone alee
And that’s where he will stay
Wind on the weathervane
Tearing blue eyes sailor-mean
As falstaff sings a sorrowful refrain
For a boy in fiddler’s green
His tiny knotted heart
Well, I guess it never worked too good
The timber tore apart
And the water gorged the wood
You can hear her whispered prayer
For men at masts that always lean
That same wind that moves her hair
Moves a boy through fiddler’s green
Ohhhh nothing changed anyway
Ahh nothing’s changed anyway
Ahh anytime the day
He doesn’t know a soul
And there’s nowhere that he’s really been
But he won’t travel long alone
No, not in fiddler’s green
Balloons all filled with rain
As children’s eyes turn sleepy-mean
And falstaff sings a sorrowful refrain
For a boy in fiddler’s green
Believe it or not this is coming from North Carolina, ex of Kansas City...fighting back the tears and wishing I was Canadian tonight. I'm sure I don't completely get how y'all are feeling, but trust me, the Hip touched many a soul south of the border.
Chris
Fiddler's Green is a legendary supposed afterlife, where there is perpetual mirth, a fiddle that never stops playing, and dancers who never tire. In 19th-century maritime folklore it was a kind of afterlife for sailors who have served at least 50 years at sea. Wikipedia.
I never paid attention to this song, and have had this cd since release day. When they played this live I was floored and cried like a baby. Its changed my life. The magic of the best story teller Canada has ever seen. And that is no disrespect to any of our great story tellers, GD just lays it down in less words, concessively. I hope he's remembered past the next two generations because to me he is Canadiana.
I used to serve Gord Downie's parents in a restaurant here in Kingston. I had this song on a mix tape and it was playing. They told me that was their son singing... They told me this song was written about his nephew.
RIP Gord Downie and Edgar Downie.
Gord Downie will be missed for a long time. Why? He demonstrated humility and gentleness. Pure human spirit and stream of consciousness music. Improvisation and poetic genius without being pretentious.
Just spoke all the lyrics to my Slovak girlfriend as we both cried. We're about to see them play for the first time (and sadly possible the last ), in Ottawa in an hour. Trying to explain what brilliant poet's and musicians she is about to experience. They were my favorite band, that I had never got to see. I'm so happy sad. Can't wait though. I'll tell you about it later. Peace