1. |
Just Another Day
03:07
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Just Another Day
Just another song
A song of hopes and dreams unspoken
A tale of love and hearts unbroken
A song of courage newly woken
When the need is nigh
Just another song
A melody to fill the silence
A growing beacon in the darkness
A fire that we can carry with us
Through the darkest night
CHORUS: Just another day can witness hope spring from despair
Just a solemn word can make us cry
Just a song can fill the heart with gladness as we sing
When we lift our voices to the sky
Just another word
Stated for another measure
Spoken in both joy and pleasure
Whispered as a secret treasure
For a friend to share
Just another word
Uttered in the throes of passion
Shouted in the heat of fury
Regretted as the day grows longer
Just another word
CHORUS: Just another day...
Just another day
Somewhere the sun is shining
Somewhere the rain is falling
Somewhere the night is calling for another day
Just another day
Somewhere there are children laughing
Somewhere a voice is singing
Somewhere another soldier dying
Just another day
Someone in joy is crying
Hearts are sighing, night is passing
Somewhere a newborn sleeping
Just another day
© Dan McKinnon
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2. |
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The Captain and the Queen
She breathed her last one January evening
She met her fate so far away from home
Shorn of masts she hauled freight for a living
Then struck a reef upon some foreign shore
He heard the news and stood still for a moment
His eyes welled up with tears he couldn’t hide
You could hear it in his voice as he tried speaking
They say that night a part of him had died
CHORUS: And you could hear the wind howling through her rigging
The Bluenose and her Captain running free
You could feel their pride and grace For glory they would race
To be the best The Captain and the Queen
They christened her the Bluenose one March morning
She turned her head toward the open sea
A thousand voices cried for victory for pride
They cheered them on the captain and the Queen
Now a season on the Grand Banks set her mettle
Judgement day was swiftly drawing near
Stout hearts were beating fast as the finish line raced past
They beat the best The Captain and the Queen
CHORUS: And you could hear...
She worked hard for 18 seasons on the Grand Banks
From Gloucester’s challenge never did they stray
But the days of sail had passed
He stayed with her to the last
Then he cast her lines and watched her steam away
Now the captain has a grandson who’s a captain
The Bluenose has a daughter who’s a queen
Together once again riding high against the wind
Forever one The Captain and the Queen
CHORUS: And you can hear...
You could feel their pride and grace For glory they would race
Forever one The Captain and the Queen
© Dan McKinnon
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3. |
My Old Walking Shoes
03:33
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MY OLD WALKING SHOES
Some people don’t like standing still
Others are afraid to run
Some of us walk a very long way
Just to get back to where we’ve begun
Some people wear too many shoes
It’s a wonder they’re never confused
Be it standing or running I’m never at odds
When I don my old walking shoes
CHORUS: Some shoes are made for walking
Some shoes for standing tall
There’s some shoes for dress, failure, or success,
But I like mine most of all
Sometimes I feel so all alone
Like an actor in the wrong part
It’s then I’ll reach down for my old walking shoes
They lead me straight back to your heart
It’s said that wisdom will come with age
If that’s true I’ll be finding out soon
I just hope these old shoes know which way to go
When I’m tired and heading for home
CHORUS: Some shoes are made for walking...
Now I’ve found that only wishes
Will never make dreams come true
So relax, breathe deep the first step is steep
And walk a long mile in those shoes
CHORUS: Some shoes are made for walking...
There’s some shoes for dress, failure, or success,
But I like mine most of all
© Dan McKinnon.
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4. |
Mystery of Oak Island
04:53
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The Mystery of Oak Island
Come closer to the fire now don’t forget a chair
Here pour yourself one more drink of whiskey
The clouds are growing darker, we’re headed for a gale
And the time is ripe for the listening
You may talk of hounds with fire red eyes, lights floating on the breeze
It’s the bicentennial eve of its discovery
Young McInnis spied the signs while walking on the strand
And thus began the mystery of Oak Island
Daniel set out in the morning with a shovel in his hand
Arm in arm he strode with both of his companions
At twelve feet flagstones barred their way shorn up with oaken logs and clay
Oak platforms jarred them every ten feet after
At ninety feet the message stone but none could read the warning
They dragged it out and waited ‘til the morning
The sun rose golden from the sea it shimmered on their hopes and dreams
But all lay under sixty feet of water
CHORUS: And the local people said, “There’s no need to raise the dead.
We don’t want dealings with the devil’s booty!”
Already six have died. Still many more will try
To solve the mystery of Oak Island
Rumours come and rumours go as to just what lay below
Captain Kidd’s is not the only treasure missing
There’s treasure of Tumbez or the crown jewels of France
Or Shakespeare’s manuscripts as penned by Francis Bacon
Many since have tried their hand, they set to tearing up the land
Well they spent more than they ever will recover
And when the money’s all but gone many more will come along
The treasure calling them from far beneath Oak Island
CHORUS: And the local people said...
Now the gale has passed us by and the ember’s glow has died
There’s one last drink of whiskey in the bottle
I have one more thing to say before you’re on your way
Then I’ll bid adieu until a new tomorrow
My tale has reached its end just like the mortal lives of men
Who go wandering ‘round the island in delusion
With the dreams fresh in their mind of what they hoped they’d find
They were all they left behind upon Oak Island
CHORUS: And the local people said...
© Dan McKinnon
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5. |
The Man of Her Dreams
03:46
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The Man of Her Dreams
Their courtship began with a walk in the rain
Her sweater was buttoned, his hat brim pulled down
In the mist haloed street lamps stood muted and still
As they walked without making a sound
Past wide-windowed store fronts that looked strangely new
For only a moment they stopped just to see
In the window’s reflection her arm slip through his
As she walked with the man of her dreams
CHORUS: In her heart she loved to go walking
Arm in arm with the man of her dreams (repeat)
Past old friends and faces they smiled as they walked
Together as one their new life had begun
And they laughed and they cried and they loved and they talked
And they dreamed of the years yet to come
Just as their summer was turning to fall
In the still of an afternoon she got the call
How while he’d been out flying his plane engine stalled
Now she mourns for the man of her dreams
CHORUS: In her heart she loved to go walking...
Softly she rocks by the window and speaks
How so long ago he was taken that day
And she tells us the tales of her dreams as she sleeps
How the man in her dreams runs away
Early one morning we found her quite still
Her sweater was on with the neck buttoned down
If you ask me I’ll tell you where she can be found
She’s gone walking with the man of her dreams
CHORUS: In her heart she loved to go walking...
© Dan McKinnon
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6. |
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When the Under-Run is Done
We fished the banks in schooners, for months we’d be at sea
Baiting hooks on cotton lines with calloused hands
With salted fish we’d fill the hold then raise our sails for home
To make highliner wouldn’t that be grand!
CHORUS: And we’d row out in the darkness
Through blinding snow and fog
Keeping count of every stroke upon the waves
Then it’s hand over hand, give a slap, then bait, then back again
Four times a day we’d make that blessed run
We’ll take our rest when the under-runs are done
Now topsails gave way peacefully the knockabout was born
No widow-making sprit upon the bow
We’ve no need to rely on wind with diesel down below
Few wings of canvas raised to see us home
CHORUS: And we’d row out in the darkness...
Factory ships and trawlers converged upon the banks
To mine the ocean’s ever precious ore
Fleets from Russia, France and Spain, near dragged the bottom clean
Highliners all but soon to be no more
CHORUS:
No more row out in the darkness
Through blinding snow or fog
No more in pairs alone upon the waves
No more hand over hand, no more slap, or bait, or back again
No more need to make that blessed run
We’ll take some rest when the under-run is done
CHORUS: And we’d row out in the darkness...
We’ll take our rest now the under-runs are done
© Dan McKinnon
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7. |
Sailmaker
04:10
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Sailmaker
Been sixty years a sailmaker learned from my father’s hand
We sewed up slips of canvas double-stitching every strand
We worked from dawn to dusk making fifty cents a day
But now the time of sailing ships is all but gone away
We sewed up sets of mainmast sails for the Bluenose and Cape Anne
When we couldn’t use machines we’d sew them all by hand
Bare masts sat there in the harbour while we worked both night and day
But oh what joy when we looked out and watched them sail away
CHORUS: And I wander sometimes down to the workshop
Just to watch the daylight pass away
And wipe away the dust from the bench-tops filled with rust
From broken needles left where they lay
I’ve watched the big fleets come and go the schooners anchored in the bay
They’d glide without a sound but for the slapping of the waves
I’ve watched the ships go proudly out I’ve seen the men obey
But now the time of sailing ships is all but gone away
CHORUS: And I wander sometimes down to the workshop...
Been sixty years a sailmaker learned from my father’s hand
We sewed up slips of canvas double stitching every strand
We worked from dawn to dusk making fifty cents a day
But now the time of sailing ships is all but gone away
Now the time of sailing ships is all but gone away
Now the time of sailmakers is all but gone away
© Dan McKinnon
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8. |
Before the Day is Done
02:55
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Before the Day is Done
One night as I went walking
To the harbour I was bound
I happened on a band of men wandering through the town
CHORUS: And it’s haul on the bowline
Keep her six points off the wind
We’ve got to make one hundred leagues before the day is done
We’ve got to make one hundred leagues before the day is done
They seemed to me a cheerful lot
To the harbour I was bound
They offered me a drink of port I was next to stand the round
CHORUS: And it's...
Soon my head was spinning
To the harbour I was bound
I woke up on the fo’c’sle floor near twenty miles from town
CHORUS: And it's...
The bo’sun he’s a bucko mate
To the harbour I was bound
The old man’s worse than the devil himself when he drinks that whisky down
CHORUS: And it's...
The cook he is a scurvy knave
To the harbour I was bound
Every dish he sends this way tastes like coffee grounds
CHORUS: And it's...
Two months have passed since I roved out
To the harbour I was bound
Though we’ve got twelve more before we’re through I’ve yet to see a crown
CHORUS: And it's...
And when my time is over
To the harbour I was bound
No more I’ll go out walking the dark streets of the town
CHORUS: And it's...
© Dan McKinnon
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9. |
Change for the Better
03:15
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Change for the Better
There are so many roads never taken
There are too many dreams pass us by
There are so many paths we’ve forsaken
There are too many hopes untried
CHORUS: And it’s time for a change for the better
It’s time for a change in me
And it’s time just to smile and sit for a while
In the warmth of your sweet company
There are so many words never spoken
Leaving too many answers denied
There are so many words said in anger
Leaving too many tears un-dried
CHORUS: And it’s time...
We each have the freedom to follow
Our heads or our hearts if we please
We can save all our joys for tomorrow
Or go where our hearts want to lead
CHORUS: And it’s time...
REPEAT CHORUS: And it’s time...
And it’s time just to smile and sit for a while
In the warmth of your sweet memory
© Dan McKinnon
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10. |
Remember Me
04:12
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Remember Me
I remember it well ‘twas the calmest of days
I remember the sky looked so blue
Mommy and Carmen were practicing hymns
When the light from the window shone through
With a flash the earth trembled, the flooring gave way
The ceiling and walls tumbled down
The only thing saved from the old house but me
Was this wonderful cup they found. It said …
CHORUS: Remember me…
Remember me
Inscribed on its side were two words to abide by
Remember me
We had just enough time to make school by nine
You could feel tension spark in the air
Alarms shrieked and howled, we followed the sound
As the new fire engine roared by
With Gordon running second and Alan in third
The world came apart at the seams
I awoke on the ground, found Gordon - we looked ‘round
Three days later Alan’s body was found
CHORUS: Remember me…
In the city’s north end with the pealing of bells
We remember that most tragic day
The whole world responded with heartfelt kindness
A debt we can never repay
Still stories are told of bravery and sacrifice
A work of God, who’s to say
But the one thing that helps keep the lost ones so dear
Is this wonderful cup found that day. It says …
CHORUS: Remember me…
© Dan McKinnon
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11. |
Back to You
03:32
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Back to You
It’s so hard to leave but you know I’ll return
And when the travelling’s all over
And there’s one thing I’ve learned
Just as sure as that harvest moon comes within view
I’ll be making my way back to you
CHORUS: There’s lights on the harbour, stars in the sky
That old yellow harvest moon gently rides by
It’s telling me that summer is just passing through
As it lightens my way back to you
And as you start searching for where you belong
May your path bring you happiness and keep you from harm
I’ll ask that Man in the Moon to keep one eye out for you
As he lightens my way back to you
CHORUS: There’s lights on the harbour...
So I wish and I wish on each falling star
That you know I’ll be with you wherever you are
Just remember when that harvest moon comes within view
It once lightened my way back to you
CHORUS: There’s lights on the harbour...
© Dan McKinnon
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12. |
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Nova Scotia for Sale/Sold
For sale some nice sea property, ocean frontage and a yard
There’s so much to see down here by the sea, here I’ll give you my realty card
A cleared lot with plenty of access to the ocean, we’re sure there’s enough
There’s only one hitch we hope you don’t mind and that’s just when the weather’s rough
CHORUS: And it’s Nova Scotia for sale sold!
The signs on the lighthouses say
But no one can read all the small print
They’ve posted them so far away
There’s the ad in the German newspaper and one in a Dutch magazine
They’ve put posters up all over the Rhine and down by the Zuider Zee
And the ad reads picture yourself here in this beautiful home by the bay
Yes the house is quite tall please don’t mind the stripes but we’d like you to keep it that way
CHORUS: And it’s Nova Scotia for sale sold...
There’s just been one previous owner, we hope you will like what we’ve done
We’ve cut down all the trees so you might get some breeze but you’re sure to get plenty of sun
There are plenty of rocks for your garden, in fact you might find quite a few
But there’s no need to fret have we lied to you yet, just sit back and admire the view
CHORUS: And it’s Nova Scotia for sale sold...
So it’s farewell to you Nova Scotia… and your beautiful sea-bound coast
There’s no need to keep all those lights on, you’re big now let’s give up the ghost
Your coastline is costing us money, there are taxes that have to be paid
You really don’t need all those lighthouses when there’s money here to be made
CHORUS: And it’s Nova Scotia for sale sold...
For sale some nice sea property ocean frontage and a yard
There’s so much to see down here by the sea here I’ll give you my realty card
There’s so much to see down here by the sea here I’ll give you my realty card
© Dan McKinnon
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13. |
This House
03:25
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This House
This house from where you watched the world go by
This house touched here and there with childhood’s eyes
Every surface your blank page, a self-painted gilded cage
With bluebirds flying free
Painted flowers on the stair blooming everywhere
Now here for all to see within this house
These hands could only do so much
These hands now curled and spent around the brush
Did you paint away the pain, paint away the tears and the misery
While painting stories from the past, times that did not last
Childhood’s memories within these hands
These eyes witness to the passing ways
These eyes now glancing from a stranger’s gaze
They saw the oxen and the cart, they were the window to your heart
Open wide enough to breathe
Painting brightly coloured scenes, pictures found in dreams
Only you could see with these eyes
This house now silent witness to your life
This house once filled with hardship and with life
Yet does it guard unspoken dreams
Preserve silent memories unseen by curious eyes?
Quietly waiting for the brush
Your loving tender touch to caress it one more time
This house
© Dan McKinnon
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14. |
Simple Things
02:23
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Simple Things
Let me sing for you I won’t take long
Some simple words when things go wrong
To help you raise your voice in song
And lend a helping hand
No lives are ever free from pain
So when your days are filled with rain
Just know the sun will shine again
And love those clouds away
CHORUS: A smile, a glance, a knowing hand
Two simple words, “I understand”
Are all it takes to be a friend
When friends are hard to find
Simple things that mean so much
A gentle kiss, a lover’s touch
These things that we don’t share enough
Help ease a troubled mind
CHORUS: A smile, a glance, a knowing hand
Two simple words, “I understand”
Are all it takes to be a friend
When friends are hard to find
Some sound advice to me was told
It’s for the young, it’s for the old
You’ve got to arms, they’re there to hold
So held gently through the night
Let me send these final words along
May days be full and long
And may your nights be filled with song
Sharing music with your friends
May the music never end.
© Dan McKinnon
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Dan McKinnon Halifax, Nova Scotia
Blessed with a glorious baritone voice, a graceful mastery on guitar, and a hearty laugh that delights any room, Dan McKinnon has carved out his own unique, musical path. From early beginnings in the coffee houses, pubs and bars of Atlantic Canada, to yearly tours throughout the UK, Dan’s performances reveal an enduring respect for the past, tempered by a profound attachment to the present. ... more
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