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The Dawning Of The Day

from Joy & Jealousy by James Bell

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about

The first verse (and last) is well known from a song ‘Pleasant & Delightful’, often sung at folk sessions. About 5 years ago I had an idea for writing a new song based on it, taking the first verse, and so I gave it a different title (I think it’s sometimes referred to as ‘Dawning of the Day’ anyway).

And a bit of context: when sung in folk sessions there’s always some goof (i.e. me) that sings ‘And the larks they played melodeons...’ (the melodeon being a button accordion frequently used in Morris bands). Such larks.

lyrics

It was pleasant and delightful
On a bright summer's morn
When the fields and the meadows
They were covered with corn
And the blackbirds and thrushes
On every green spray
And the larks they sang melodious
At the dawning of the day
-----------------------------------------
And the larks, they sang melodious...
At the dawning of the day.


And we'd burned through every morning
And we sighed through each night
And we'd sang of larks' melodeons
And laughed till we cried
And I begged let me go with her
If she would not stay (she said)
"It was love and now it's over,
And there's nothing more to say."
-----------------------------------------
It was love and now it's over...
And there's nothing more to say.


Oh the night it went on forever
As we argued and cried
As we laughed and held each other,
As I tried and I tried
But the night slipped away from me,
I could not keep hold
For she's leaving for another life
On the other side of the world
-----------------------------------------
For she's leaving for another life...
On the other side of the world.


Oh it rained like the sky was angry
As I made my way home
And it seemed I was being beaten
By waves and by foam
And I fell into thick rain clouds
Of black and of grey
And I felt like I was drowning
As the rain it died away
-----------------------------------------
And it felt like I was drowning...
As the rain it died away.


And then it was pleasant and delightful
On a bright summer's morn
When the fields and the meadows
Were covered with corn
And the blackbirds and thrushes
On every green spray
And the larks they sang melodious
At the dawning of the day
-----------------------------------------
And the larks, they sang melodious...
At the dawning of the day.

credits

from Joy & Jealousy, released November 5, 2013
Traditional arranged by James Bell.
Words (except first and last verses) by James Bell.

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all rights reserved

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about

James Bell Oxford, UK

Recording artist. Singer. Guitarist. Songwriter. Producer. Performer of traditional English music. Not interested in being famous. Very interested in making good music. Prone to stubbornly ignore the advice of friends in the pursuit of a singular and unique artistic vision, only to admit in a couple of years that, yeah, okay, that particular thing didn’t really work. ... more

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