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Hot on the heels of 'By The Water's Edge', Dan came up with another maritime sounding arrangement that he was keen to share with Dick and myself.

The original music was very inspiring and my immediate suggestion was on the theme of 'impressment' - the press-ganging of sailors into naval service against their will. No sooner had I suggested this than Dick had drafted a great start to the fine lyric we have now. I added a verse then Dick completed the lyric and delivered a guide vocal that took my breath away. I thought we should leave it at that, however we all continued to work on multiple versions with a variety of arrangements and vocal set-ups. What we were seeking was something organic and natural sounding, as if a couple of sailors were singing in a tavern about their life at sea, surrounded by other impressed seamen.

lyrics

They took me from the harbour,

While I was still asleep,

Chained and gagged and bent and ragged,

Human turned to sheep.

In the days of impressment,

Flogging instead of caressment,

A captain cruel, an empire’s tool

... ship of fools.

Though the sails are torn,

The bow cleaves straight,

For the Equator.

Unto its fate.

The King's shilling will be my lot,

My fate's sailing, willing or not,

The wind's ailing and I've been bought.

The wind’s ailing, It's come to naught.

This coin of treason,

Was in my cup,

The pressgang thugs will never stop,

My love, the world's a station, cruel & dim,

Where is the truth & dignity,

How can this law be for the free?

The King's shilling will be my lot

They robbed me from my hometown,

And pressed me on their ship,

Forced to fight their dirty war,

Slave under their whip,

In the days of impressment,

No law forbade his arrestment,

Sailor’s freedom for what it’s worth,

Where is the justice on this earth?

In the days of impressment.

credits

from Songs of the Sea, released April 6, 2016
Original Music, All Other Instrumentation and Final Mix - @dan-lockhart
Guitar, Harmonica, Lyrics, Vocals and Vocal Melody - @oorlab
Additional Lyrics and Vocals - Mark J. Bennett

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