Cern's Pagan Songbook Online:

Songs from Celia's "Red Alabaster and Blue" CD

Red Alabaster and Blue
Unlucky One
Porch Song ("Spring Green")
Quan Yin
Acid Rain
Symbol
Strings on Our Kings
Shadow
Simple Question ("Are You Shinin?")
Shine Your Light (Marty's Song)
We'll Always Sing

To buy the "Red Alabaster & Blue" CD,

go to Celia's website at http://celiaonline.com/

 

Quan Yin

By Celia Farran

 

Note: Celia uses a number of "hammer-on's" with the G and C chords

                 G                                                    C

1. It’s been… three years, two months and five days.

                    G                                                              C

He comes straight from the prison saying, “Honey, I’ve changed.”

               G                                 G7                          C

Saying, “She’s my flesh and blood, I am her Old Man, you are still my woman.”

                  G                    C

I say, “The hell I am… oh, no”.

 

He says “Baby, Baby, I know I made mistakes.”

“Ready to claim what is mine, I’ll even back pay”.

Well, “She’s got a Daddy now and he treats me like a queen. 

His love is real. Your money’s make believe”.

    D                              C                       G

I hold my little girl with arms so soft but inside I am wild.

     D                       C                            G              C     G

I know I’ll tear him limb from limb if he comes near my child.

 

                                        G

Ch:      So I call for Quan Yin  (Quan Yin, Quan Yin,)

                    C

Quan Yin. (Quan Yin. bring peace within…)

                                  G                       D                              G

Ride in on your dolphins into my skin.  (Ride in). Quan Yin.

           G

Quan Yin, (Quan Yin, Goddess of Compassion) 

                  C

protect little… Morrigan (Quan Yin, protect our children)

                                G                    D

from the whispering winds she’s innocent. (she’s innocent). 

          G

Quan Yin. (Quan Yin Quan Yin)

           

2. He tries to look her in the eye says “Honey child do you remember me?”

Well, how’s she supposed to know some bloke that she has never seen?

You’ve overstayed your welcome, it’s time for you to go

How arrogant to think that you could own her soul.

                    D                       C                           G

She says “Mommy, Mommy, don’t get mad, you know swears are a sin.” 

                    D                        C                               G

She says “Mommy, Mommy, who’s that man and why…why do I look like him?” (Ch)

 

 

                  D             C                    G

Brg:    Revenge is the little pill that I swallow to hurt you.

          D                   C                  G

   Why does it end up killing me?

D                C           G

    Oh little child I am not the one deserted you, but

D                C                        G

    Oh little child won’t you forgive me?  Oh…

         G                                               C

Well… just for the record…the system failed.

                 G                                               C

They give rights to a criminal man just out of jail.

         G                                     G7

And just because he knows just what to say

  C                                              G

doesn’t mean he knows about the family way.

                D                C                           G

It’s gonna take a lot of long night talks and soulful listening. 

                  D                        C                  G  

I’m gonna teach her how to speak her truth…  and how to call Quan Yin.  

 

(chorus2:)

           G               C                 G               C                 G

Quan Yin… Quan Yin… Quan Yin… Quan Yin… Quan Yin.

 

 

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Shadow

By Celia Farran

 

Tune guitar down ½ step, play in D with 6 string tuned to D;

or capo first fret and play in C with 6 string tuned down a whole step.

                  D

1. You’re Shadow is Dark. Your Shadow is cold.

        D

But someday I’d like to cast shadows of my own

         G                       Gm                         D

But when you’re near I just can’t reach the light

   A

When you’re gone I shine for you so bright

           D

Your roots bruise my mouth, your rage is so strong

        D

But some day I’ll rustle these leaves of my own

          G                    Gm                 D

And when I do you’ll know it’s not okay

   A

When you’re near I scrape for words to say.

 

Ch1:  G         D            G          D

I need time.  And I need space

               G                          D

So I can grow tall like the Sequoias

                 A

And I can look you in the face.

 

2. But I’m just the child and you’re the grown up

You come home so tired I try hard not to wake you up

But it seems you never ever want to play

You just say I’m always in your way

 

Chorus (trumpet solo)

  

3. If I am the apple and you are the tree

I’d sacrifice my sweet to become a bitter leaf

And pray for heavy winds to set me free

And zephyr me away from Poison Trees.

 

Ch2:       G          D        G           D

So I need time and I need space

                 G                      D

Maybe I’ll get drunk like a grown up

                A

Maybe I’ll… slap you on the face

                G                       D

And say “Hey, Where you been?”

    G                    D G               G     D

“Hey, Where you been… all my life?”

 

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Simple Question

By Celia Farran

 

“I called in to work, and told my boss: ‘I am feeling too WELL to come in today’.”  --Celia

 

Capo I and play in C, sounds in Db

  C              /              /

Sitting in a NY City Coffee House

                                                            F              G

Sitting ‘Cross my friend who speaks his truth all the time

    C                          /                           /

When I’m with him I always feel much more myself.

                                         F           G

And right now I am feeling, oh, so Divine

          G7

And today we are talking ‘bout our obstacles

Anything or anyone who’s in our way

And he is teaching me to ask myself this simple Question

                                                                                    G7

Every minute every second every hour of every day, and that is:

 

         C

Ch:      Am I Shining?  Cause if I’m Shining then….

         G

Everything is more than OK. (But)

         C

If I’m not shining then I’ll be leaving

                                      G

No, I won’t wait another day.

                G7

And I will tune in, and if your not helping me to shine, then,

          G7                                 C

Get yourself* out of my way!

 

2. Now I’m back at home in my Midwestern town.

Monkeys jumping on my back in spinal parade.

The light that once shown through my heart has broken down.

Mr. Right is wrong and it’s too little too late.

And then my New York memory comes back to me.

My friend, the chuckle in his throat and twinkle in  his eye.

And then I am reminded just to ask my simple question.

And the question isn’t who or what or when or how or why

It’s Simply:   (Ch)

 

3. It seems to me I’m getting more and more things right.

My smile is getting deeper all the time.

I walk into a dark room and it still feels bright,

All the goodness in my life I’m claiming as mine.

And I never will forget my New York City Friend

That time we shown so bright in that café.

And I will always tune in and I’ll ask my simple question

Every minute, every second, every hour of every day

And that is:  (Ch)

 

*Note: "yourself" may be replaced with whatever words you may need to say to express how you really feel.

 

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We'll Always Sing

By Celia Farran

 

Em                             D                          G   D    Em

1. Today has been an eerie day, an empty day for truth.

Em                                           D                           G     D Em

     And though it's ending in confusion, I feel much closer to you.

Em                                      D

   I do not know your name.     I don't know where you're from.

                                            Em

But I've seen this city take it's toll.

Em                                        D

   But it's no matter what they take from me

                     G   D    Em                     

They'll not infect my soul.

 

                           Em          D

CH:     I'll Always Sing My Highest

                                                   Em

I'll always Dance the night away

        Em                          D

I'll Always Fly To freedom

                                                          Em

My heart beats on as long as there are drums to play.

              Em                D       Em

Oh ay, oh ay, oh ay, oh ay.

    Em                 D       Em

Oh ay, oh ay, oh ay, oh ay.

 

 

2. I will stomp my anger I will sob my grief

But I'll not crumble in fear

Come all you healers sing it out with me until It's only peace that we can hear.

We no long have the living luxury of reveling in the fight.

For now we understand our purpose here lies in holding the light.

 

CH2:   We'll Always Sing our Highest

We'll always Dance the night away

We'll Always Fly To freedom

Our hearts beat on as long as there are drums to play.

Oh ay, oh ay, oh ay 

(Repeat)

 

 

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Last Update on this Page:

August 2009 ce

by Cernowain Greenman