Name: The Paraffin Lamp
Duration: P00H03M34S
Description: A winter song, written after a short story of the same name by Orcadian writer George MacKay Brown from his book, 'Winter Tales'.

The Paraffin Lamp

by Kirsty Law

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A winter song, written after a short story of the same name by Orcadian writer George MacKay Brown from his book, 'Winter Tales'.

lyrics

At a time when the wind it swings 'round to the north,
Comes around bites the back of your neck,
An old man took a pail to the well, not the tap,
'That's just Tammas,' they said...

At the foot of the hill there's a tired old nag,
Her days of working the earth, they are done
But Tammas never hurried her and he never worried
That the harvest would never come home

'Cause by the light of a paraffin lamp,
There's no harness on time, no earthly demands...

It's time to slow down, the sun is low down
In the midwinter sky
There's tea on my table, I feel that I'm able
To come in to the dry

At a time when the world it seems drawn to the cry
Of the salesman, a glint in his eye,
His sweetie-wrapper splendour, the sales-pitch endeavour
Never stopping to think or ask why

But by the light of a paraffin lamp,
There's no harness on time, no earthly demands...

It's time to slow down, the sun is low down
In the midwinter sky
There's tea on my table, I feel that I'm able
To come in to the dry
It's time to slow down, the sun is low down
In the midwinter sky
There's tea on my table, I feel that I'm able
To come in to the dry

credits

released December 17, 2020
Written and performed by Kirsty Law

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about

Kirsty Law Edinburgh, UK

Kirsty Law is an innovative Scots songmaker, singer and artistic collaborator. From a background learning from some of Scotland and Ireland’s great tradition bearers, she now creates her own evocative material that aims to play, question and culturally engage. ... more

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