KATE & ANNA McGARRIGLE LYRICS

230 Pages·2017·16.52 MB·English

KATE & ANNA McGARRIGLE
LYRICS
Compiled by Robin Dunn & Chrissie van Varik.

The complete poetic lyrics of Kate & Anna McGarrigle songs as
performed in principal recordings (or demos) by them, or in the case
of McGarrigle compositions, performed by others alone and/or with Kate & Anna.
Kate (6th February 1946 - 18th January 2010) and Anna (born 4th December 1944) McGarrigle, Canadian
singer-song-writing sisters from Quebec, performed as a duo until Kate's death. Another sister, Jane (aka Janie)
McGarrigle, a film and television composer, sometimes wrote and performed with Kate & Anna, but was not a
regular collaborator.
Anna and Kate were born in Montreal of mixed Irish and French-Canadian background, but spent their
childhood in the Laurentian Mountains village of Saint-Sauveur-des-Monts, northwest of Montreal, where they
learned piano from village nuns. In the 1960s, whilst Kate was studying engineering at McGill University and Anna
art at the École des Beaux-Arts de Montréal, they began performing in public and writing their own songs. From
1963 to 1967 they teamed up with Jack Nissenson and Peter Weldon to form the Mountain City Four, a folk group.
Kate and Anna continued to write, record and perform music into the twenty-first century with assorted
accompanying musicians including Gerry Conway, Pat Donaldson (see also the Heads Hands & Feet Lyric List on
http://robindunnmusic.wordpress.com/) - also for a time Kate’s partner, Ken Pearson, Michel Pépin, Chaim
Tannenbaum and Joel Zifkin. They made ten albums from 1975 to 2008.
Their songs have been covered by a wide variety of artists including Maria Muldaur, Nana Mouskouri, Linda
Ronstadt, Emmylou Harris, Billy Bragg, Chloé Sainte-Marie, Judy Collins, Anne Sofie von Otter and others.
Although associated with Quebec's Anglophone community, the McGarrigles also recorded and performed
many songs in French. Two of their albums, ENTRE LA JEUNESSE ET LA SAGESSE (aka French Record) and
LA VACHE QUI PLEURE, are entirely in French (with one exception), but many of their other albums include one or
two French language tracks. Many of their French songs were co-written by Philippe Tatartcheff, with occasional
input from Kate’s son, Rufus Wainwright. Rufus and his sister, singer Martha Wainwright, are the children of Kate
and her former husband, singer-songwriter Loudon Wainwright III. Anna’s daughter Lily Lanken and son Sylvan
Lanken also contribute to numerous recordings, as does Anna’s husband Dane Lanken.
The McGarrigles have performed or recorded with the Irish group The Chieftains, Nick Cave and the Bad
Seeds on their 2001 No More Shall We Part album, Emmylou Harris on her albums Bluebird, Wrecking Ball,
Western Wall: The Tucson Sessions, Light of the Stable, Stumble into Grace, and All I Intended to Be, Lou Reed on
his concept album The Raven, Joan Baez on her live recording Ring Them Bells, Gilles Vigneault on ‘Charlie-Jos’ on
his album C’est Ainsi Que J’arrive à Toi, and Robin Holcomb on her 2002 album The Big Time. All are here including
their version of Wade Hemsworth’s ‘The Log Driver’s Waltz’, famous as the soundtrack for a 1979 animated film by
the Canadian National Film Board and a 1970 Chris Rawlings version with Anna backing. The sisters appeared on
the children’s TV show Sharon, Lois & Bram's Elephant Show in Season 4, episode 50 entitled Sibling Rivalry.
Kate & Anna were appointed Members of the Order of Canada in 1993 and received the Governor General's
Performing Arts Award in 2004. Kate died from sarcoma, a rare form of cancer. See: http://katemcgarriglefoundation.org/

ALBUMS:
KATE & ANNA McGARRIGLE (1975)
DANCER WITH BRUISED KNEES (1977)
PRONTO MONTO (1978)
FRENCH RECORD (ENTRE LA JEUNESSE AT LA SAGESSE) (1981)
LOVE OVER AND OVER (1982)
HEARBEATS ACCELERATING (1990)
MATAPÉDIA (1996)
THE McGARRIGLE HOUR [also released as a DVD] (1998)
LA VACHE QUI PLEURE (2003)
THE McGARRIGLE CHRISTMAS HOUR [also released as a DVD] (2005) (includes family & friends)
ODDITIES (2010) (demos & outtakes etc.)
TELL MY SISTER (2011) (3-CD set of first two albums plus demos & unreleased tracks)
TORONTO, MAY’82 (2016) (CD of CBC radio broadcast from 29th May 1982)

BOOKS:
Mountain City Girls: The McGarrigle Family Album - by Ann McGarrigle (2015)
Kae and Anna MCGarrigle: Songs and Stories - Dane Lanken (2007)
WEBSITE: http://www.mcgarrigles.com/
The list is in strict alphabetical order starting with the initial letter of the title including words ‘A’, ‘La’, ‘Les’ etc. and if within
brackets e.g.: ‘(‘Til)’ or ‘(I’d)’. However the second word leads in the cases where ‘The’ starts the title. Generally, standard English
(without too much punctuation), is used except of course for the French lyrics. Bracketed lines generally allude to ‘backing’ or
‘echo’ singing. The bracketed date (with a ‘?’ if uncertain or unknown) following the title denotes the year of first recording or
release. Italics within the lyrics generally denotes speech. Queries/gaps are also indicated in blue and/or indicated by ??.
Omitted verses (where known) have been included for interest and are shown in dark blue as are the notes. The lyrics are
reproduced from the standard or definitive recording with other versions/recordings noted. Please forward typos and other
corrections/additions/suggestions to: [email protected]

NB: The lyrics below are, as far as possible, ‘as performed’ and are reproduced for amusement only and not for commercial gain.
Ownership and copyright remains with the original composer(s) and/or publishers. These lyrics are for your personal use only.
We will not, and you must not, gain commercially from this listing.

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A BOIRE (1981)
(Anna McGarrigle/Philippe Tatartcheff) From the 1981 album FRENCH RECORD (ENTRE LA JEUNESSE AT LA SAGESSE).
Kate McGarrigle: vocal & B3 Hammond organ; Anna McGarrigle: vocal & piano; Andrew Cowan: mandolin.

Je me regardai dans le glace si folle
Souriant, promenai mes souliers désaccordés
A boire, à boire
Je lui demandai
Pour l'amour du Seigneur
Je lui suppliai

Se jeune, si jeune, chaque gorgée m'emporte
Par des mers si gelées, le printemps cherchant l'automne

Froidement fidèle, vision toujour changeante
Dive campagne, à mes lèvres si accordante

ABSENCE MAKES THE HEART GROW FONDER (1975)
(Loudon Wainwright lll) Kate & Anna McGarrigle contribute backing vocals on this track from Loudon Wainwright’s (Kate’s then
husband) 1975 album UNREQUITED.

Absence makes the heart grow fonder
And the mind begins to wander back to happier days
I guess you could say you were taken for granted
I went on and on and I raved and I ranted
Oh my tyrannical ways

But now things are different cause now you are gone
And I'm not so sure that I can carry on
I always knew you were important to me
But now I know you are a necessity, otherwise
I'd start to go insane

Things weren't easy when we were together
We had plenty of days of lousy weather
But now I'm in a hurricane
And I'm gonna grieve, and I'm gonna moan
Cause you're not here and I'm all alone

The joke's on me you get the last laugh
I've found out the hard way who is my better half
And now I'm the worse for the wear
When I see you again expect some champagne wine
And on Valentine's Day expect a valentine
Cause now I know how much I care, how much I care

AH, MAY THE RED ROSE LIVE ALWAYS (1987)
(Stephen C. Foster) From the 2010 album ODDITIES. Stephen Collins Foster: 4th July 1826 – 13th January 1864. * Omitted
lines/verses.

Ah, may the red rose live always
To smile upon earth and sky
Why should the beautiful ever weep
Why should the beautiful die

Lending a charm to ev’ry ray
That falls on her cheeks of light
Giving the zephyr kiss for kiss
And nursing the dewdrop bright
Ah - may the red rose live always

To smile upon earth and sky!
Why should the beautiful ever weep
Why should the beautiful die
Long may the daisies dance the field *
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Frolicking far and near
Why should the innocent hide their heads
Why should the innocent fear
Spreading their petals in mute delight
When mornin' its radiance breaks

Keeping a floral festival
‘Til the night-loving primrose wakes
Long may the daisies dance the field
Frolicking far and near
Why should the innocent hide their heads
Why should the innocent fear

AH TOURNESOL (2003)
(Philippe Tatartcheff/Kate & Anna McGarrigle) From the 2003 album LA VACHE QUI PLEURE. Kate McGarrigle: vocals,
acoustic guitar & synthetic flute; Anna McGarrigle: vocals, banjo & synthetic flute; Martha Wainwright: vocals; Butch: drums &
percussion; Jeff Hill: contrabass; Joel Zifkin: violin.
Kate & Anna McGarrigle also sing and play on this track from the 2003 various artists album Redub Chroniques. Kate
McGarrigle: vocal & acoustic guitar; Anna McGarrigle: vocal & banjo; Vander: bass; Butch: drums; Lily Lanken: backing vocal;
Martha Wainwright: backing vocal; Borza Ghomeshi: electric guitar; Jean-Sébastien Cyr: synthesizer; Jeff Hill: double bass; Guy
Thouin: tablas (type of Hindu drums/tom toms).
This song is a setting of William Blake’s poem ‘Ah Sun-flower’ - a straight translation of the original. The same song is
also performed with English lyrics (‘Sunflower’ - see below.)

Ah tournesol, proie à l’ennui
Toi qui comptes les pas du soleil
En quête de ce haut, doux pays
Où le voyageur trouve le sommeil

Où jeunesse languit de désir
Et pâle vierge sous son froid - linceul
É mergeant de leurs tombes, soupirent
Après les rêves de mon tournesol

Ah tournesol, proie à l’ennui
Toi qui comptes les pas du soleil
En quête de ce haut, doux pays
Où le voyageur trouve le sommeil

Où jeunesse languit de désir
Et pâle vierge sous son froid - linceul
É mergeant de leurs tombes, soupirent
Après les rêves de mon tournesol

Après les rêves de mon tournesol

A LA CLAIRE FONTAINE (1976)
(Kate & Anna McGarrigle) From the 2010 album ODDITIES, comprising outtakes and demos. Kate McGarrigle: vocals; Anna
McGarrigle: vocals; Chaim Tannenbaum: harmonica. Other personnel not certain. This is a French folk song made famous by
Madame Emma Albani, an internationally known star of the Opera, who was from Québec.

A la claire fontaine
M'en allant promener
J’ai trouvé l’eau si belle
Que je m'y suis baigné

Il y a longtemps que je t’aime
Jamais je ne t'oublierai

J'ai trouve l'eau si belle
Que je m’y suis baigné
Sur la plus haute branche
Le rossignol chantait

Il y a longtemps que je t'aime
Jamais je ne t’oublierai

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J’ai trouve l’eau si belle
Que je m'y suis baigné
Sur la plus haute branche
Le rossignol chantait

Il y a longtemps que je l’aime
Jamais je ne t’oublierai

Sur la plus haute branche
Le rossignol chantait
Chante, rossignol, chante
Toi qui as le cœur gai

Il y a longtemps que je t’aime
Jamais je ne t’oublierai

Chante, rossignol, chante
Toi qui as le cœur gai
Tu as le cœur à rire
Moi je l’ai à pleurer

Il y a longtemps que je t’aime
Jamais je ne t’oublierai

Tu as le cœur à rire
Moi je l'ai à pleurer
J’ai perdu ma maîtresse
Sans l’avoir mérité

Il y a longtemps que je t’aime
Jamais je ne t’oublierai

J’ai perdu ma maîtresse
Sans l’avoir mérité
Pour un bouquet de roses
Que je lui refusai

Il y a longtemps que je t’aime
Jamais je ne t’oublierai

Pour un bouquet de roses
Que je lui refusais
Je voudrais que ces rose
Soit encore au rosier

Il y a longtemps que je l’aime
Jamais je ne t’oublierai

Je voudrais que ces rose
Soit encore au rosier
Et moi et ma maîtresse
Soit en bonne amitiés

Il y a longtemps que je l’aime
Jamais je ne t’oublierai

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ALICE BLUE GOWN (1998)
(Harry Tierney/Joseph McCarthy) From the 1998 album THE McGARRIGLE HOUR; it includes members of the sisters’ family
and friends. Lily Lanken: vocals; Anna McGarrigle: vocals; Rufus Wainwright: vocals; Jane McGarrigle: piano; Joel Zifkin: violin.

In my sweet little Alice blue gown
When I first wandered down into town
I was both, proud and shy
As I felt every eye
And in every shop window
I'd primp passing by

At all manner of fashion I'd frown
And the world seemed to smile all around
'Til it wilted I wore it
I'll always adore it
My sweet little Alice blue gown

At all manner of fashion I'd frown
And the world seemed to smile all around
'Til it wilted I wore it
I'll always adore it
My sweet little Alice blue gown

'Til it wilted I wore it
I'll always adore it
My sweet little Alice blue gown

ALEXANDER GRAHAM BELL see: WHAT GOD HATH WROUGHT

ALLEZ-VOUS-EN (1998)
(Cole Porter) From the 1998 album THE McGARRIGLE HOUR; it includes members of the sisters’ family and friends. Martha
Wainwright: vocal; Kate McGarrigle: accordion; Tom Mennier: piano.

Since the moment when first like a rocket you burst
In my hitherto tranquil skies
I am startled to find
I am not colour blind
When I view the blue of your eyes

Therefore please do not take me to task
If the following favour I ask

Allez-vous-en, allez-vous-en, monsieur
Allez-vous-en, go away
Allez-vous-en, allez-vous-en, monsieur
I have no time for you today

Do be a dear, just disappear, monsieur
Bid me farewell, do, do, do
Allez-vous-en, please go away, monsieur
Or I may go away with you

Therefore please do not take me to task
If the following favour I ask

Allez-vous-en, allez-vous-en, monsieur
Allez-vous-en, go away
Allez-vous-en, allez-vous-en, monsieur
I have no time for you today

Do be a dear, just disappear, monsieur
Bid me farewell, do, do, do
Allez-vous-en, please go away, monsieur
Or I may go away with you

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ALL I LEFT BEHIND (1999)
(Emmylou Harris/Kate & Anna McGarrigle) Kate & Anna McGarrigle join in with vocals on this track from Linda Ronstadt &
Emmylou Harris’s 1999 album Western Wall - The Tucson Sessions.

All I left behind should come as no surprise
To me since I fell through the black hole of your eyes
Only little things inconsequential I could say
Of all I left behind with you along the lost highway
Silver earrings in Wichita
Beaded moccasins in Tonapah

But I had you so
I just let them go

The flannel shirt I wore to keep me from the cold
When we drove from Boston all the way to Buffalo
The leather boots I bought so many miles ago
I took them off to follow you into the Ohio
Never did my armour feel so thin
Silk was all I had between me and your skin

Like waterloo
I lost that too

And the gold bracelet with my father’s name inscribed
On the back by the one who loved him all her life
The way I too
Could have loved you

The Spanish shawl I put across the broken shade
Of the lamp that lit the room
That last night near Cour d'Alene
Only little things inconsequential I could say
Of all I left behind with you along the lost highway
Of all I left behind

ALL THE WAY TO SAN FRANCISCO (2012)
(Kate McGarrigle) Martha Wainwright performs this song (with backing from the Ensemble) on the 2013 tribute album Sing Me
The Songs - Celebrating the Works of Kate McGarrigle. This track was performed and recorded at Luminato, Massey Hall,
Toronto, 13th June 2012.
Concert musicians - Brad Albetta: bass; Thomas Bartlett: piano; Michelle Josef: drums; Calum MacColl: guitar; Jane
McGarrigle: piano; Michel Pépin: guitar; Chaim Tannenbaum: banjo & mandolin; Joel Zifkin: violin. A wide range of artists perform
McGarrigle songs on the album taken from recordings at three tribute concerts 2010-2012 in aid of the Kate McGarrigle
Foundation which is dedicated to sarcoma research plus preserving, continuing and building Kate’s artistic and philanthropic
legacy. See: http://katemcgarriglefoundation.org/ We are not aware of a recording by Kate & Anna McGarrigle.

I wore my lumberjack shirt
And a pair of blue jeans
I wore my lumberjack boots
And my navy blue pea coat
From the merchant marines
All the way to San Francisco
All the way to San Francisco

And from my greyhound living room
I could see children crying
And stars were fallin’
And derelicts were dying in darkened doorways
All the way to San Francisco
All the way to San Francisco

The mountains were high
And so was I
(All the way to San Francisco)
And the gods were shining through on high
(All the way to San Francisco)
There were chicks in convertibles passing me by
(All the way to San Francisco)
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And I wanted to laugh
And I wanted to cry
(All the way to San Francisco)
(All the way to San Francisco)

I could reap the highway
Clear as words on a page
And to the music of that highway
I could hear the songs of love

The songs of rage
The voices were loud
Sounded like screams
From plain folk, just ordinary people
With extraordinary dreams
All the way to San Francisco
All the way to San Francisco

The mountains were high
And so was I
(All the way to San Francisco)
And the gods were shining through on high
(All the way to San Francisco)
There were chicks in convertibles passing me by
All the way to San Francisco
And I wanted to laugh
And I wanted to cry
All the way to San Francisco
All the way to San Francisco

I wore my lumberjack shirt
And a pair of blue jeans
I wore my lumberjack boots
And my navy blue pea coat
From the merchant marines

AMPLEFORTH/LAY ME LOW (see also LAY ME LOW) (1978)
(Trad. Arranged by Pete Bullock/Trad. Arranged by John Tams) Kate McGarrigle contributes vocals on this track from the Albion
Band’s 1978 album Rise Up Like The Sun.
John Tams: lead vocals & melodeon; Kate McGarrigle, Julie Covington, Pat Donaldson, Richard Thompson & Linda
Thompson: chorus; Pete Bullock: synthesiser, piano, clarinet, baritone saxophone, organ; Michael Gregory: drums, nakers,
tambourine; Ashley Hutchings: electric bass; Dave Mattacks: drums, tambourine; Simon Nicol: vocals, electric guitars, acoustic
guitar; Phil Pickett: shawms, bagpipes, curtals, trumpet; Ric Sanders, violin, violectra; Graeme Taylor, electric guitar, acoustic
guitar. Ampleforth Abbey is a Benedictine monastery in North Yorkshire, UK.

Lay me low
Lay me low
Lay me low
Where no-one can see me
Where no-one can find me
Where no-one can hurt me

Show me the way
Help me to say
All that I need to
All that I needed you gave me
All that I wanted you made me
When I stumbled you saved me

Lay me low
Lay me low
Lay me low
Where no-one can see me
Where no-one can find me
Where no-one can hurt me

Lay me low
Lay me low
Lay me low
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Where no-one can see me
Where no-one can find me
Where no-one can hurt me

Lay me low
Lay me low
Lay me low
Lay me low
Lay me low
Lay me low
Lay me low
Lay me low
Lay me low
Lay me low
Lay me low
Lay me low
Lay me low
Lay me low
Lay me low
Lay me low
Lay me low
Lay me low
Lay me low
Lay me low
Lay me low.....

AND NO MORE SHALL WE PART (2000)
(Nick Cave) Kate & Anna McGarrigle contribute backing vocals on this track from Nick Cave’s 2000 album No More Shall We
Part.

And no more shall we part
It will no longer be necessary
And no more will I say, dear heart
I am alone and she has left me

And no more shall we part
The contracts are drawn up; the ring is locked upon the finger
And never again will my letters start
Sadly, or in the depths of winter

And no more shall we part
All the hatchets have been buried now
And all of the birds will sing to your beautiful heart
Upon the bough

And no more shall we part
Your chain of command has been silenced now
And all of those birds would've sung to your beautiful heart
Anyhow

Lord, stay - by me
Don't go down
I will never be free
If I'm not free now

Lord, stay by me
Don't go down
I never was free
What are you talkin’ about

For no more shall we part
And no more shall we part

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