Tommy Makem – Ballad Of St. Anne's Reel lyrics

He was stranded in a tiny town on Fair Prince Edward's Island
Waiting for a ship to come and find him
A one horse place, a friendly face
Some coffee and a tiny trace of fiddling in the distance far behind him
A dime across the counter there, a shy hello, a brand new friend
And a walk along the street in wintry weather
A yellow light, and open door
A welcome friend there's room for more
And then they're standing there inside together
He said, "I've heard that tune before somewhere
But I can't remember when
Was it on some other friendly shore, or did I hear it on the wind?
Was it written on the sky above, think I heard it from someone I loved
I never heard a sound so sweet since then"

And now his feet begin to tap, a little boy says, "I'll take your hat"
And he's caught up in the magic of her smile
Leap, the heart inside him went, and off across the floor he sent
His clumsy body graceful as a child
He said, "There's magic in the fiddler's arm, and there's magic in this town
There's magic in the dancers' feet and the way they put them down
People smiling everywhere, boots and ribbons, locks of hair
And laughter and old blue suits and Easter gowns

The sailor's gone, the room is bare, the old piano's sitting there
Someone's hat's left hanging on the rack
Empty chairs and the wooden floor, that feels the touch of shoes no more
A waiting for the dancers to come back
The fiddle's in the closet of some daughter of the town
The strings are broke, the bow is gone, and the cover's buttoned down
But sometimes on December nights, when the air is cold and the wind is right
There's a melody that passes through the town