© Graham Spence
A selection of the published song lyrics
Real Life
Yesterday
Lifemask
For you
December shadows
I’ll be there
Walking on air
Whernside
Better way
Servant for the slave
Battle
Free
Induced sleep
Meugher
Forever young
Your time
Mother earth
You and I
Mining fields
Now you’re gone
Years unknown
Reflections
Under a morning blue sky
River rolling by my feet
New dawn chorus singing loud
Crying out that song of youth
Awaking on the wings that freedom brings
Living the simple truth
Thinking about those yesterdays
Talking to the past
Moving around what might have been
Re-living some things I knew
The fog is breaking I can see the making
Of something out of the blue
In the day time sun or rain
Things never seem to be the same
As in the moonshine shadows that climb
They move over you and I
Here comes that Monday morning
I’m looking at it different now
Chasing away those crazy days
Breaking into the new
The past still rages but I’m turning pages
It’s something to do with you
In the day time sun or rain
Things never seem to be the same
As in the moonshine shadows that climb
They move over you and I
Grant me a wish for tomorrow
And I’ll wish your tomorrow’s always come
New dawn chorus singing loud
Crying out that song of youth
Awaking on the wings that freedom brings
Living the simple truth
In the day time sun or rain
Things never seem to be the same
As in the moonshine shadows that climb
They move over you and I
I was young with little time spent
My school tongue tied away
Hid from the rule like nobody’s fool
There was Jack Frost on a window pane
Making pictures in a cold north wind
The clock was my friend now it never waits for me
Well I can’t stop the time
The river or the rushing tide
They’ll just keep moving on like yesterday
I was a friend of the optimistic
Saw the eye of destiny
Rode all the seasons all the years
Those times are coming back at me
Open fires and a wind swept face
They were precious times special times
And the past so gently awakes
In the firelight of the night
Until the morning breaks like yesterday
Walking in shadows of the past
Where nothing can ever change
Finding hidden words from long ago
Just down a cobbled track
There’s the lure of open spaces
Words to paint pictures or stories still untold
So here I stand
Where my past so gently sleeps
Hand in hand with yesterday
Like yesterday
Never loose desire
Of yearning to be free
When the road ahead seems filled
With lowly fears that grow
Somewhere you will listen
To voices of the past
An old memory that lingers
Doesn’t always please so leave it alone
All you believe in
Is all that you need
What you believe in
Is the life that you lead
Those eyes are filled with secrets
No one could ever hear
Not even in a whisper
Defying every question that is heard
Searching for that free will
It’s not so hard to find
In these days of wisdom
You need to hold on to be free
All you believe in
Is all that you need
What you believe in
Is the life that you lead
In this changing world
There always is a danger
To fall into the traps
In temptation hand we all know
All you believe in
Is all that you need
What you believe in
Is the life that you lead
Shorter days are dawning
Autumn leaves are turning
Everything keeps moving on
Nothing is for certain
The wind goes where ever
Dreams can do that too
I would always say it’s for you
Someway you can see the past
On the pages of your mind
Sometimes doubting what you see
Engraved there for all time
The wind goes where ever
Dreams can do that too
I would always say it’s for you
Shorter days are dawning
Autumn leaves are turning
Everything keeps moving on
Nothing is for certain
The wind goes where ever
Dreams can do that too
I would always say it’s for you
Dusk light showing me December
Winter nights are coming on strong
Won’t sleep tonight you’re stealing my head
Where did we go wrong?
Feels like this mighty world is falling
We had a future in arrears
The scented breath of this city mess
Tells me our love disappears
We are like shadows moving across the sky
Evolving from a past gone by
Who knows why?
That’s when the time did fly
Where did all the time go?
It’s stolen all our dreams
Pictures in my mind tell me
Life ain’t what it seams
Cold sun of a new day
Show me light if you must
No more dancing moths in a candle flame
Now that our love has turned to dust
We are like shadows moving across the sky
Evolving from a past gone by
Who knows why?
That’s when the time did fly
Few words come like friends
To lie by your side
They speak and caress you
Your broken heart mends
Fought by the past
Healed with a promise
Out in the distance I’ll be there for you
Running wild on a hillside
Just into a sunset
It’s a certain situation
Near impossible to hide
Fought by the past
Healed with a promise
Out in the distance I’ll be there for you
You’ve got the good times calling
Living the cream of life
Here comes the upside
Quicker than leaves are falling
Fought by the past
Healed with a promise
Out in the distance I’ll be there for you
We’ve seen darker than blue days
Brighter than light
Colder than snow clouds
Out in the night
Fought by the past
Healed with a promise
Out in the distance I’ll be there for you
Waiting for the sun to shine
Waiting for the rain to stop
Watch the clock another time
In and out of life we go
Waiting for the penny to drop
Watch the clock go fast and slow
Paint the sky and paint the sun
Paint some trees, leaves and grass
The snowman’s life has just begun
One eye laughs the other cries
One step gets behind awhile
Speaking mouths usually telling lies
Catch the day before its night
Catch a glimpse from anywhere
One piece of your mind is always right
Catch some time before you know
You don’t have to try no more
Secrets of the night will never go
Rhythms of the wind and sea
Rhythms of what you believe
Pushing to the brink you will see
Rhythms in and off I go
No need to hurry it’s the night
I’m walking on the air against the flow
Covered in cloud and mystery
Are the ageing stone walls
Covered in cloud is the history
From its peak the water falls
Sacred and peaceful there
And in woodlands below
No one could ever find you there
Now covered in the snow
On the land of whernside
Feels good to be here
On the land of whernside
All words run dry
Wild wind of the north now blow
As I walk on this ground
All the colours of summer go
As the winter comes around
On the land of whernside
Feels good to be here
On the land of whernside
All words run dry
Still breeze of the summer blows
As I walk from this ground
To return here again I know
For the stillness all around
On the land of whernside
Feels good to be here
On the land of whernside
All words run dry
The river fills with rain
Rolling to the sea
I wish it could be blue again
A picture left to see
Wake up
Look out
It’s another day
Thinking
Knowing
There’s a better way
The perfect look of perfect eyes
Stare across the way
They kiss you wile telling lies
What games these eyes can play
Wake up
Look out
It’s another day
Thinking
Knowing
There’s a better way
Smog amongst the city walls
Heroes on borrowed time
One more life another falls
Running from life’s climb
Wake up
Look out
It’s another day
Thinking
Knowing
There’s a better way
For to long they asked for more
To pick up off the ground
A bottle for the empty glass and lick the overflow
Up to the brim another ten to help the course
In his mind was laughter for the servant at the door
He’s looking tired let him go and play
With the wine and the women that he serves up every day
Watch him go to misbehave
Bring in the servant
The servant for the slave
They fought and waited for blood to pour
What was the death and hatred for?
It must be that the answer’s faded - in the clouds
When the bloody show was over and gone
No one sang the victory song - for long
Dented armour was their pride
There is nowhere left on earth to hide
Seeds of joy in baths of blood
Sometimes the reasons never looked so good
Calm now
Live those dreams
Slow down
Time can wait
Free to grip those beliefs
Deep and true those beliefs
Search
Live those beliefs
Sun
Life
Fields with rain
Air to breath
Loose or gain
Free to grip those beliefs
Deep and true those beliefs
Search
Live those beliefs
Shadows of night
Call to me
Wings of sky
Over land and sea
Free to grip those beliefs
Deep and true those beliefs
Search
Live those beliefs
Take a rest along your life time
Take a chance along the way
Take a rest along your life time,
Take the chance before it slips away
Make the best of every moment
You may be blind but still you see
All the colours of the rainbow
Or watch a leaf fall from a tree
Sleep in silence
Motionless and deeper than the sea
Sleep in trances
Until days of hope and happiness are free
The breath of life is free and easy
Like a candle in the night
Burning softly dying slowly
Sometimes wrong to be right
A fantasy is what we’re living
The facts of life remain unknown
If the past ever had an answer
Then surely it has flown
Sleep in silence
Motionless and deeper than the sea
Sleep in trances
Until days of hope and happiness are free
Leave the bad take the good times
From the dark into the light
When in question find an answer
It may be wrong it could be right
Violent streets and crazy people
Followed Satan’s way to keep
There is trouble in the cities
There is peacefulness in sleep
Sleep in silence
Motionless and deeper than the sea
Sleep in trances
Until days of hope and happiness are free
What does it take to remind us?
What will it take to forget?
From this mountain the sun will rise again
On this land I’m free
No voices heard
No sight of man
Those stones unturned
Where the time began
Feelings of a distant past
What is now and what may be
No cage or prison since it’s time of birth
On this land I’m free
No voices heard
No sight of man
Those stones unturned
Where the time began
In the freshly fallen snow
Or a heated summer’s day
There are no worries or madness to be found here
On this land we’ll be free
No voices heard
No sight of man
Those stones unturned
Where the time began
She was a young girl with beauty I’d say
Came from a memory of yesterday
Her face I once painted across the sky
Eclipsed by the years
From to far behind
I would not know her voice anymore
Or her face if she stood at the door
There would be no trace no clue
Eclipsed by the years
From to far behind
Just as the nights turn into days
We did grow and go different ways
Into a world of counterfeit things
Eclipsed by the years
From to far behind
She was a young girl with beauty I recall
The time we had was never much at all
She is forever young in my mind
Eclipsed by the years
From to far behind
Last night just as the sun left the sky
My thoughts were in a mist of time
I was young and wishing time away
Just like you’re doing now
Get off the chair
Take those young hands to the world
Your face is near perfection in light
Not creased or lined or smudged with time
Gather those dreams and hopes
Compress them into your mind
Get off the chair
Take those ideals to the world
It doesn’t seem long since you were a child
When you saw life through a child’s eyes
You wonder where you should go
To the sweet waters of life
Get off the chair
Take your dreams to the world
There will be joy there will be sorrow
Follow your heart or fumble with fools
Sometimes there will be darkness
Where once the light always shone
Get off the chair
Take your light to the world
You can run but you’ll never hide
From the days and years and passing of time
You can drift along with the motions
Just like the moving tide
Or Get off the chair
Take you life to the world
Past generations gone into green fields
Their presence still haunt like an ancient curse
Old place
Mother Earth
Give us the new tomorrow
Old place
Bring us peace
Give us the new tomorrow
Lost were their hearts to someone
Their secrets disappeared
With the same sun and stars they found their way
Old place
Mother Earth
Give us the new tomorrow
Old place
Bring us peace
Give us the new tomorrow
Before our birth they lived
Now hidden from our eyes
With the same sun and stars we find our way
Old place
Mother Earth
Give us the new tomorrow
Old place
Bring us peace
Give us the new tomorrow
You and I
We can see
Another world of ecstasy
A crimson sun
Lights up our eyes
No war no gun just compromise
We’ve still got this old world turning
Our feet on its ground
Optimistic high morning
We’re on the road
Another day
For us to grow
To catch the peace we’ve come to know
Left or right
Early or late
No plan no plot we chance our fate
We’ve still got this old moon calling
With a cold ghostly light
Crystal sky with love falling
In the cool night air
We’ve still got this old sun shining
Like never before
Looks like our love keeps on binding
It must be written in stone
A settlement came to the summit
To work on Greenhow’s leaded land
From Mungo gill to Coldstones and Heathfield
Merryfield and Glen this land scarred from then
By mines and smelting men
Many hard days were to follow
In these eighteen fifty fields
Some sent down underground to leaded fumes
Young lads aged ten their lives scarred from then
By mines and smelting men
Those times now are missing
Old memories twisting
The ghosts reminiscing those bygone days
Limestone dust on their brow
A burning candle in one hand
From the surface to the depth of this hell
No breath of life to ease their darkness by degrees
Fresh winds on blowing trees - please
Those times now are missing
Old memories twisting
The ghosts reminiscing those bygone days
On the moors and in the valley
Ageing ruins I have seen
The mini-mining hills of Greenhow still hide
Old secrets down below that sleep from long ago
Beneath these winds and snow
Those times now are missing
Old memories twisting
The ghosts reminiscing those bygone days
It seemed like another life
Colours of a different world
I would give anything to be back there with you
Now I don’t hear your call
To catch me when I fall
Life has moved us on now you’re gone
Memories fade into silhouettes
Some got blown away
Or caught in a world that’s lost its meaning
There’s a silence in empty rooms
Now I don’t hear your call
To catch me when I fall
Life has moved us on now you’re gone
There were seeds sown for tomorrow
Giving memories for today
I only see you in the dark of night
Inside dreams before the morning light
Now I don’t hear your call
To catch me when I fall
Life has moved us on now you’re gone
Reminded by an Armageddon sky
There is nothing lasts forever
So here it is the disbelief
Tears and laughter incomplete
Now I don’t hear your call
To catch me when I fall
Life has moved us on now you’re gone
In the dark of night
The past comes rolling in
With wisdom from life’s diary
It tells me stories from long ago
On a land with no frontiers
Where the past has overgrown
Turning pages of history that steers
the present back to years unknown
Through the eyes of yesterday
Silence speaks of discontent
From clouds with spilling tears
Ageing years in slumber sleep
From racing rats and sucking greed
To where the bathing water’s flow
No stories here can deceive
In the realms of mother earth we know
Beyond a moon lit lake
In the midnight mist where shadows glow
A sleepy ghost still appears
Above the green and luscious fields
On a land with no frontiers
Where the past has overgrown
Turning pages of history that steers
the present back to years unknown
It was morning and the dawn light
It did show over Brimham hill
Did the day light of this morning
Hide those dreams far away and still
I did not feel like a stranger
There was no sense of time
Every hour of the day seemed the same
All we children told stories
At the playground and village green
During school time it seemed so long
Then the last bell it was serene
I did not feel like a stranger
There was no sense of time
Every hour of the day seemed the same
Now the time goes by so quickly
Some folks and places have all gone
Keeping heart to what we believe in
All we love and what we still run from
I did not feel like a stranger
There was no sense of time
Every hour of the day seemed the same
It was evening and the dusk light
It did fade on a western hill
In a place where all this beauty
Hides those dreams far away and still