Get all 20 Emma Langford releases available on Bandcamp and save 25%.
Includes unlimited streaming via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality downloads of Abigail (Tomhas Ghobnatan), The Wexford Carol, The Winding Way Down To Kells Bay (With the RTÉ Concert Orchestra), Winter Nights, Birdsong (Arvo Party remix), At Seventeen, The Winding Way Down to Kells Bay (piano instrumental), Sowing Acorns, and 12 more.
1. |
Birdsong
02:57
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'Til your eyes find me I'm strong as my bones
'Til then here I stand, I am strong as my bones
'Til your eyes find me I am strong as my bones
'til then, only then I am strong as my bones
Then only then I am all self-doubt
All my will and my won't fly out of my mouth
Like a little white dove that you've trained so well
to sing prettily along to another bird's song
'Til your eyes find me I am strong as my bones
'til then, only then I am strong as my bones x 2
Meanwhile I’m tall, I am tow'ring above
All your hate in your soul can't undo this self-love
Like a little white dove that will soar on the wind
Proudly bruising my lungs with the songs I have sung
'Til your eyes find me I am strong as my bones
'til then, only then I am strong as my bones x 2
I'll beat my breast cry a great fearsome cry
See you cowering then, as I fly high
And when I am done, oh I’ll swoop on down
Seeking those eyes of judgement, I'll peck 'em out
'Til your eyes find me I am strong as my bones
'til then, only then I am strong as my bones
But for now I belong to no beast, man, or thing,
My own self is my own I am strong as my bones
Like a fierce bird of prey that knows only the hunt
With a strength you don't know how your pretty bird's flown
'Til your eyes find me I am strong as my bones
'til then, only then I am strong as my bones x 4
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2. |
Sailor's Wife
03:01
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Well I put my life on hold waiting ‘round for you
And now you sail the seven seas and what am I to do?
And do you think of me out there, and are you coming home?
Or did you pack a single care in setting out alone
So you built a boat, a sturdy one, from anything you found
And you pushed off from familiar shores to find unchartered ground
But the waters that you sail upon might tear you limb from limb
So Gods bless the boat you built yourself and all who sail within
Now you’re drifting, Ooh
Drifting...
Well I think about from time to time building myself a boat
And setting out to find you boy, we’d be two ships afloat,
And I think of you there bobbin’ like a cork upon the sea
Oh are you dead or livin’ boy, won’t you come on back to me?
Drift on back to me, come on home to me, drift on back to me
Now you’re drifting, Ooh.
Drifting, Ooh
Drifting
Now you’re drifting, Ooh, Ooh…
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3. |
He Came From The Sea
04:08
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When the boat did rock, well he threw his sails to the wind
And he didn't mind the rain, it felt cool on his skin
But it came as quite a shock to find himself at sea
But he didn't mind the solitude, it felt new to be free
And the boat did try to cast him off
But he clung with both hands to the mast
Yes the boat did try to cast him off
You must cling with both hands to the mast
And the times that he felt his fingers slip and he thought that he'd jump ship
He felt a cool breeze, a voice on the ocean
It was soothing, it was soothing, and it made him steady
And the boat did try to cast him off
But he clung with both hands to the mast
Yes the boat did try to cast him off
You must cling with both hands to the mast
He came in from the sea
And with his feet on solid ground
Sure, he wondered what all the fuss had been about
He came in from the sea x 4
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4. |
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Oh the road stretches out before your feet on the winding way down to Kells Bay
And the Golden sunset's like no other they say on the winding way down to Kells Bay
Where sorrow's met with smiling eyes and a great black cloak brushed with stars for a sky
And the old trees lean in there to whisper a tale on the winding way down to Kells Bay
There's a song in the heart of the people you'll meet on the winding way down to Kells Bay,
Yes a joke to be shared and a drink to be drank on the winding way down to Kells Bay
And the green Kerry Hills overlooking the sea, and the fuschias are blooming so brightly and sweet
And the ocean could carry our worries away on the winding way down to Kells Bay
On the winding way down, oh the winding way down,
On the winding way down to Kells Bay
Yes the ocean could carry our worries away on the winding way down to Kells Bay
There's a saint on the hillside i dteach deas beag buí, on the winding way down to Kells Bay
Lean isteach leat a stóirín agus lig do scíth on the winding way down to Kells Bay,
And when the bell rings then we'll all head away on the winding road down to Kells Bay,
Where the ocean could carry our worries away on the winding way down to Kells Bay,
And the Golden sunset's like no other, they say, on the winding way down to Kells Bay,
And we'll stop for the chat, and the auld cupán tae, on the winding way down to Kells Bay.
Yes the ocean could carry our worries away, on the winding way down...
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5. |
Port Na bPúcaí
02:29
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6. |
Sowing Acorns
04:16
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My loneliness reverberates around the thin cold walls. It's where I sleep, where I work
It's where I daydream
I’ve been holding out on you these past nights,
Hoping you’d find me yourself before light
Dreams they don’t come to me willingly now
Darkness no comfort, silence no shroud,
So I have to reason where reason allows
These eyes grow weary now tracing the lines,
Counting the cracks in a grey plaster sky
Dreams don’t entice them to rest for a while,
Dreams are the locked box kept deep in the mind
And some fear what hides behind their own closed eyes
I’ve been sowing acorns in my densely woven mind
I’ve been growing trees from memories for us to climb
And when we reach the top what will we see?
And when we’ve climbed them all what will we dream?
Or will we dream?
Will we dream?
My bed is the safest and saddest place I know. It's where I wrap a tired arm around myself when my skin hurts from exhaustion.
My bed is where I decide to survive.
So sleep will come to me now willingly
Peaceful and dreamless will overcome me
Words fade, this jaded mind gives up the fight,
Worries and thoughts tangle, twist and unwind
Lost now I drift in this blue black of night
I’ve been sowing acorns in my densely woven mind
I’ve been growing trees from memories for us to climb
And when we reach the top what will we see?
And when we’ve climbed them all what will we dream?
Or will we dream?
Oh, will we dream?
Oh, Will we dream?
My bed is where inspiration comes, where I drew my sketches. It's where I wrote these words.
My bed is where I imagine a gentle hand holding mine.
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7. |
Mariana
04:10
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Mariana, listen to me,
I know an ocean lies between us,
But dear lady, honest truly,
I perceive more than I’ve seen thus far
And you, you’re much stronger, not much longer now ‘til this load comes off your back
You can shout now, let it out now, you don’t have to hold back
Mariana, in your bright eyes
I see dark skies ever looming
But amiga if I had the sunshine I would wrap it round your neck to warm you
Eastern beauty it’s a strange land,
And we’re strangers in this life
But dear lady, honest truly, it gets easier now, let it in a little light
And you, you’re much stronger, not much longer now ‘til this load comes off your back
You can shout now, let it out now, you don’t have to hold back,
have to hold back
Mariana, when your voice fades
Oh your soul shines like a beacon
And dear lady when your boy says that he misses you do you hear him?
Eastern beauty it’s a strange land,
And we’re strangers in this life
But dear lady, honest truly, it gets easier now, let it in a little light
And you, you’re much stronger, not much longer now ‘til this load comes off your back
You can shout now, let it out now,
you don’t have to hold- you, you’re much stronger,
not much longer now ‘til this load comes off your back,
you can shout now, let it out now,
You don’t have to hold back,
have to hold back
Mariana, listen to me
You don’t have to hold back
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8. |
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I never thought I’d be where I am so who knows where we’ll be tomorrow?
I think now and then of my younger self, a sweet green girl with her joy and her sorrow
I work every day to make her proud, her voice was broken so I sing aloud
Every moment of the day that I second-guess every step I’ve taken to where I stand
Is a moment borrowed, is a moment blessed by a sweet green girl with a pen in her hand,
I work every day to make her proud, her voice was broken so I sing aloud
I work every day to make her proud, her voice was broken so I sing aloud
I speak to the world with a voice I’ve earned, spread my seeds in fertile soil,
Young minds listen and young minds learn while our old hearts cool and our old blood boils
I work every day to make her proud, her voice was broken so I sing aloud
I work every day to make her proud, her voice was broken so I sing aloud
I work every day to make her proud
Her voice was broken so I sing aloud
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9. |
Ready-O
02:49
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Rode the enterprise today out of town and far away
Yeah, I took that train alone, cos it seemed like time that I got gone
Oh girl, when you know, yeah you know it’s time to go?
You gotta be ready-o, you gotta be ready-o, you gotta be ready, oh,
You gotta be ready-o, you gotta be ready-o, you gotta be ready, oh...
Felt the four winds pulling at my sleeve
Ever fibre urging me to leave
And the fibre makes a tapestry
For a grander plan
Oh girl, when you know, yeah you know it’s time to go?
You gotta be ready-o, you gotta be ready-o, you gotta be ready, oh,
You gotta be ready-o, you gotta be ready-o, you gotta be ready, oh...
It’s not charitable or kind, not to tell him what’s on your mind
You gotta be ready-o, you've gotta be ready-o, you gotta be ready, oh,
You gotta be ready-o, you gotta be ready-o, you gotta be ready, oh,
You gotta be ready-o, you gotta be ready-o, you gotta be ready, oh,
You gotta be ready-o, you gotta be ready-o, you gotta be ready, oh...
You've got to be ready-o, you gotta be ready-o, you gotta be ready, oh…
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10. |
Goodbye Hawaii
03:47
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You know the funny thing about the day you realise who or what you are
Is that by the time it happens you're prob'ly not that anymore
And the funny thing is logic states for things to break they first must fall
And like any small or precious thing, you give nothing or you give all
I can't give you any more than that, I don't trust my clumsy feet not to make me fall flat
and the heart's the only muscle tissue - little known fact - that don't know how to heal itself if you cut it in half
so don't cut it in half
we spend our days in endless cycles of lust to oxytocin
never stopping to think about the space between us that we've chosen
well I can give my mouth, and my ear, but I can't give you my hand
cos though you're oh so understanding you can never understand
I can't give you any more than that, I don't trust my clumsy feet not to make me fall flat
and the heart's the only muscle tissue - little known fact - that don't know how to heal itself if you cut it in half
so don't cut it in half
so I will hand you cellotape and superglue, and staples
and I'll help you hold the pieces in place til you're fit and able
I can never be a surgeon cos my stomach's far from strong
but I hope my bedside sympathies suffice to help you moving on
I can't give you any more than that, I don't trust my clumsy feet not to make me fall flat
and the heart's the only muscle tissue - little known fact - that don't know how to heal itself if you cut it in half
so don't cut it in half
no don't cut it in half
I can't give you anymore than that
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11. |
Demon Darling
03:14
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You fell into his arms that night,
I watched as you gave in
To vanity and loneliness and all your buried thoughts of him,
And darkness overcame you as you tangled up in sheets
Oh, what a tangled web you weave; you’re so practiced in deceit
You’ve got a demon, darling; It’s hungry for the kill
And oh if you don’t slay it now, Perhaps you never will,
You never will.
You followed him out of the dark
To where your eyes could meet
And danced to music in your head and toe to toe you shared a beat
So easily you drifted into some adopted dream
Where nothing else existed out beyond your blinding street-light’s beam
You’ve got a demon, darling; It’s hungry for the kill
And oh if you don’t slay it now, perhaps you never will,
You never will
When you awoke he’d left you with the love you’d left behind,
And an olive branch around your wrist was all he left to ease your mind
You’ve got a demon, darling; It’s hungry for the kill
And oh if you don’t slay it now, Perhaps you never will,
You never will.
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12. |
Free To Fall
03:24
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Chorus: Do you love me like you did before, before we fell apart?
Tell me what to do to prove that I won't break your heart.
If it's just a case of time I'll wait and hope you come around,
And when the fire can't be found I'll set you free to fall again
If the fire can’t be found I’ll set you free to fall again
Hey I’m sorry to be calling late, I know you need to sleep,
But I had to get the message straight before it runs too deep:
See I let my mind go wanderin’ getting lost on guided tours
But I'm home and if you'll have me - Head and heart and hand - I'm yours
[Chorus]
Hey, I'm sorry to sound mental, this might all be in my head
But I had to make it clear to you in case I wake up dead:
See I know I played your achey-breaky like a broken track,
But I want to fix the scratches now if you'll just have me back
[Chorus]
Hey, I'm sorry that this message, so explicitly for you,
Might be heard around the world if it takes that just to get through
And you embarrass easy, so yeah... Dick move on my part,
But would you love me like you did before, before we fell apart?
[Chorus]
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13. |
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I bear scars you don't care to see,
They're not in clear view but they're so dear to me
And those are scars I would not remove
for that I have loved and lost they are my proof
And if we go out dancing tonight, I want you to know that it's alright,
You can dance with whoever you want to, it's fine,
I am not yours, and you are not mine.
She watches him watch her crossing the floor
And we all know you'd love to have kissed her once more
But that auld love was never to be: You were not yourself and she was not me,
You were not yourself, and I set you free.
So if we go out dancing tonight, I want you to know that it's alright:
You can dance with whoever you want to, it's fine,
I am not yours, and you are not mine,
I am not yours and you are not mine,
I am not yours and you are not mine.
Heartbreak and liquor play games inside your head
Signs are made, and signs are misread,
and I'm sorry my boy, but I have been here before,
and you bear the markings of a boy I could adore;
And I will only break your heart in turn, and that is sure,
So if we're dancing I'm best left ignored.
And if we go out dancing tonight, I want you to know
It's fine, it's alright:
You can dance with whoever you want to, it's fine,
I am not yours, and you are not mine x 5
So if I am not yours, then you are not mine,
No if I am not yours, then you are not mine,
Now if I am not yours then you are not mine
So if I am not yours therefore you are not mine.
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Emma Langford Limerick, Ireland
Emma is a Limerick-based songwriter with strong folk, traditional influences that shine through her work
Emma Langford recommends:
The Stepping Stone
by Alec Brown
Alec has been part of my musical life since I first trod the boards in 2016, he's a fantastic composer, arranger and performer - check out his album The Stepping Stone and support his patreon
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Bird of Prey (Demo Album)
by Aoife Meade
Aoife Meade is one of the most exciting young songwriter/composers out there right now, don't sleep on this wicked woman's work
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Goodbye David Bowie
by Arvo Party
I've had the great joy and privilege of collaborating with Herb aka Arvo Party a number of times, and his remixes and original work are always tasty and tasteful
go to albumIf you like Emma Langford, you may also like:
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Her voice is a beautiful instrument, listen you'll see what I'm taking about Great beats, melodies. Not just a great Rap/ Hip Hop album, great album period.
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In a live setting, Les Filles de Illighadad get right into the groove.
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