Chewonki Songbook Chewonki Songbook www.chewonki.org 2020 Table of Contents Across the Great Divide 3 Ain’t No Ash Will Burn 4 Angel from Montgomery 5 A Place In The Choir 6 Caledonia 8 Cornflakes and Milk 9 Country Roads 10 Come By The Hills 11 Crowded Table 12 Debsconeag Lake 14 Garden Song 15 Housewarming 16 Hold Back The Days 18 Home 19 How Can I Keep From Singing 21 I’m Yours 22 Iowa 23 In My Time 24 I Knew This Place 25 Isle Au Haut Lullaby 26 Look To This Day 27 My Paddle’s Keen and Bright 28 ‘Neath the Pine Tree 28 Peace 29 Peace Like A River 29 Riptide 30 River 31 Sand Dollar 33 Simple Gifts 34 Teach Your Children 35 The Littlest Worm 37 Waltzing With Bears 38 Wagon Wheel 40 Willie's Song 42 Yellow Convertible 43 1 Chewonki Songbook www.chewonki.org 2020 Across the Great Divide Kate Wolf I’ve been walking in my sleep Countin’ troubles ‘stead of counting sheep Where the years went I can’t say I just turned around and they’ve gone away I’ve been sifting through the layers Of dusty books and faded papers They tell a story I used to know And it was one that happened so long ago. CHORUS: It’s gone away in yesterday Now I find myself on the mountainside Where the rivers change direction, across the great divide Now I hear the owl a-callin’ Softly as the night was fallin’ With a question and I replied But he’s gone across the borderline CHORUS The finest hour that I have seen Is the one that comes between The edge of night and the break of day It’s when the darkness rolls away CHORUS 2x 2 Chewonki Songbook www.chewonki.org 2020 Ain’t No Ash Will Burn Della Mae I have seen snow that fell in May I have seen rain on cloudless days Somethings are always bound to change Oh, there ain’t no ash will burn CHORUS: Love is a precious thing I’m told It burns just like West Virginia coal But when the fire dies out it’s cold Oh, there ain’t no ash will burn You say this life is not your lot And I can’t be something that I’m not We can’t stoke fire that we ain’t got Oh, there ain’t no ash will burn CHORUS In every life there comes a time When there are no more tears to cry We must leave something dear behind Oh, there ain’t no ash will burn 3 Chewonki Songbook www.chewonki.org 2020 Angel from Montgomery John Prine E A E A I am an old woman named after my mother. E A D E My old man is another child that’s grown old. A E A If dreams were thunder and lightning was desire E A D E This old house would’ve burnt down a long time ago. CHORUS: D A E ​ Make me an angel that flies from Montgomery. D A E Make me a poster of an old rodeo. D A E ​ Just give me one thing that I can hold on to. D A E A E A To believe in this living is just a hard way to go. When I was a young girl I had me a cowboy, He weren’t much to look at, just a free ramblin’ man. But that was a long time, and no matter how I try, The years just flow by like a broken-down dam. CHORUS There’s flies in the kitchen, I can hear all their buzzin’ But I ain’t done nothin’ since I woke up today. I am kind of person goes to work in the morning Come home in the evenin’ and have nothin’ to say CHORUS D A E To believe in this living is just a hard way to go. 4 Chewonki Songbook www.chewonki.org 2020 A Place In The Choir Bill Staines CHORUS: G All Earth's critters got a place in the choir, D G Some sing low, some sing higher, C G Some sing out loud on the telephone wire, D G And some just clap their hands, or paws, or anything they got now. G Listen to the bass it's the one on the bottom D G Where the bullfrog croaks and the hippopotamus C G Moans and groans with a big to-do D G And the old cow just goes "moo" (MOO!) The dogs and the cats they take up the middle While the honeybee hums and the cricket fiddles, The donkey brays and the pony neighs And the old coyote howls. (AOOOWWW!) CHORUS Listen to the top where the little birds sing On the melodies with the high notes ringing, The hoot owl hollers over everything And the jaybird disagrees. (NO!) Singin' in the nighttime, singing in the day, The little duck quacks then he's on his way. The 'possum ain't got much to say And the porcupine talks to himself. (HMMPH!) 5 Chewonki Songbook www.chewonki.org 2020 CHORUS It’s a simple song of living sung everywhere By the ox and the fox and the grizzly bear, The grumpy alligator and the hawk above, The sly raccoon and the turtle dove. CHORUS 6 Chewonki Songbook www.chewonki.org 2020 Caledonia Dougie Maclean C(G) G(D) I don’t know if you can see Am(Em) F(C) The changes that have come over me. C(G) G(D) In these last few days I’ve been afraid, Am(Em) F(C) That I might drift away. I’ve been telling stories, singing songs That make me think about where I come from. That’s the reason why I seem So far away today. CHORUS: C(G) G(D) So let me tell you that I love you, Am(Em) F(C) That I think about you all the time. C(G) Am(Em) Caledonia you’re calling me, G(D) C(G) And I’m going home. C(G) G(D) But if I should become a stranger, Am(Em) F(C) You know that it would make me more than sad. C(G) G(D) C(G) Caledonia, you're everything I’ve ever had. Well, I have moved and kept on moving, Proved the points that I needed proving, Lost the friends I needed losing, Found others on the way. Oh I have tried and kept on trying, Stolen dreams yes, there’s no denying, I’ve traveled hard with conscience flying 7 Chewonki Songbook www.chewonki.org 2020 Somewhere with the wind. CHORUS Now I’m sitting here beside the fire, The empty room, a forest choir, The flames have cooled, don’t get any higher, They’ve withered, now they’ve gone. But I’m steady thinking my way is clear, And I know what I will do tomorrow, When hands have shaken, the kisses flowed, Then I will disappear. CHORUS Cornflakes and Milk Your eyes are like diamonds, your hair is like silk (clap on legs) I’ll always love ya like cornflakes and milk. CHORUS: But don’t get discouraged ‘cause I’ll always love ya like (clap on legs) Cornflakes and milk (clap on legs), my love. Soggy Rice Krispies, I’ve had it with you (clap on legs) The love between us has never been true. CHORUS Devil to Wheaties, drop dead Sugar Krisp (clap on legs) I’ll always love ya in spite of my lisp CHORUS: add an additional “cornflakes and milk, my love” ​ ​ 8 Chewonki Songbook www.chewonki.org 2020 Country Roads Bill Danoff, Taffy Nivert, and John Denver Almost heaven, West Virginia Blue Ridge Mountains, Shenandoah River Life is old there, older than the trees Younger than the mountains, growing like a breeze G – Em - / D – C G :// CHORUS: Country roads, take me home To the place I belong West Virginia, Mountain Mama Take me home, country roads G – D - / Em – C - / G – D - / C – G – All my memories, gather round her Miner’s lady, stranger to blue water Dark and dusty, painted on the sky Water sparkles moonshine, teardrop in my eyes BRIDGE: ​ I hear her voice, in the morning hours she calls me Radio reminds me of my home far away Drivin’ down the road, I get a feelin’ that I should have Been home yesterday, yesterday Em D G - / C G D - / Em F C G / D – D7 – ​ ​ 9 Chewonki Songbook www.chewonki.org 2020 Chewonki Trails Adapted by Emily Bell-Hoerth & the Chewonki Elementary Choir Almost heaven, Midcoast Maine Blueberry Hill, Hoc - a - moc Bay Land is old there, layers of history A place for everybody, a home for you and me G – Em - / D – C G :// CHORUS: Chewonki trails, take me home To the place I belong Salt Marsh Farm, Montsweag Brook Take me home, Chewonki Trails G – D - / Em – C - / G – D - / C – G – Building memories, through the years Hardcore hikers, allies to blue waters Stories of hard work, written on the sky Wheels just keep on turning, years keep passing by BRIDGE: ​ I hear a voice, in the morning hours it calls me All my friends remind me that my heart is here to stay And drivin’ down the Neck, I get a feelin’ that I will Return again someday, again someday... Em D G - / C G D - / Em F C G / D – D7 – ​ ​ 10 Chewonki Songbook www.chewonki.org 2020 Come By The Hills Oh, come by the hills to the land where fancy is free.