Tamar

 Arrangement: Brenda Wootton. Words & Music: © Richard Gendall. “Starry Gazey Pie” album. Sentinel Records; SENS 1031; 1975

Here, where the Tamar flows on, sweetly and softly,

Softly flows on, sweetly and softly flows on…

High on the down by Callington town,

Cornish and Dane ‘gainst Saxon lay slain,

And lay there, so still, and lay there so still,

While in the valley the river flowed on,

The river flowed on, the river flowed on, Tamar flowed on.

 

Here, where the woodlark sings high, softly and sweetly,

Sweetly she sings, softly and sweetly she sings…

Here the black crow o’er the battlefield flew,

Ally or foe, what care could they know

That lay there so still, that lay there so still,

While in the valley the river flowed on,

The river flowed on, the river flowed on, Tamar flowed on.

 

Here, where the heather blows fair, sweetly and softly,

Softly blows fair, sweetly and softly blows fair…

Tell me again they died not in vain,

That lent their lives, for the frontier survives,

Where Tamar flows on, where Tamar flows on,

While in the valley the river flows on,

The river flows on, the river flows on, Tamar flows on…

 

Sue Ellery-Hill Aug 2020