6. St. Flavian’s Day
Swallows fly the leaden sky
The fall begins
Before the storms go rushing by
The harvest gathered in
Sweet bird, one day
You’ll fly away
On St. Flavian’s Day
You’ll sail away
Do not fade away
Fires aglow and outside the snow
Lays its blanket down
Twilight grows, the moonlight shows
On the frozen ground
Sweet girl, one day
We’ll skate away
On St. Flavian’s Day
We’ll melt away
Do not fade away
You do not believe
That these words could possibly be
Meant intentionally for you
But I cannot give you more
Than some poor metaphor
And my most beautiful chords
Early July, the corncrake flies
Over yellow fields
Those who avow to follow the plough
They never yield
Dear girl, one day
We’ll steal away
On St. Flavian’s Day
We’ll ride away
Do not fade away
from
Hymns of the Black Flag,
released September 10, 2011
Steve Hogg: vocals
Manoj Baruah: violindas, timpani
José Toral: acoustic guitar
Matthew Wood: accordion
Jane Collins: flute, alto flute
David Pagett: clarinet, bass clarinet
Roshan Wijetunge: contrabass
Myke Vince: marching drum, floor tom
Katie Elliott: vibes, glockenspiel, toy piano