Get all 4 Elle Osborne releases available on Bandcamp and save 25%.
Includes unlimited streaming via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality downloads of If You See a Rook on its Own, it's a Crow, It's Not Your Gold Shall Me Entice, So Slowly, Slowly Got She Up, and Good Grief.
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Birds of the British Isles by Elle Osborne
I have walked the county with a pony by my side
I have met the weather, I have read the sky
I have taken in the air, I have taken in the miles
But I don’t know all the birds of the British isles
Well I know many things, some that others don’t know
I know if you see a rook on its own, it’s a crow
And I know the heft of heron and the light of blackbird calls
But I don’t know all the birds of the British Isles
And I can say many things, some that others wouldn’t care to
I know what to say to people when they pick on you
And I’ve almost learnt to greet the haters with loving smiles
But I haven’t learnt my birds of the British isles
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2. |
Ing's Lane
03:32
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Ing’s Lane by Elle Osborne
Fallen as a lost child,
fallen
safe and found,
fallen
Held as a lost child
held and found
fallen
Climbed to earth
fell to the sky
safe and found
fallen
fallen
safe and found
I know where the stream runs free,
I know where the fillies stray
I know where the rope swing sways
I know where lost children play
Safe and found
safe and found
And the moon shone bright
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3. |
No Hoof, No Horse
03:04
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No Hoof, No Horse by Elle Osborne
A lone pony tethered in the horizontal rain
At the mercy of a master
Measures all our pain
But it’s not the wet that gets them
It’s the wind that does for horses
The ear high, the wider eye,
And greater when the force is
But along comes Molly now, squinting in the low sun
Walk along with me now, walk along
Shoulder by shoulder, in it for the long run
Walk along with me now, walk along
Along they come trotting, wickering
Cheeky mares, snickering
Walk along with me now, walk along
An extra guinea for every roll at the horse fair dickering *
Walk along with me now, walk along
* Amongst the Gypsy horse dealers of North Lincolnshire (maybe other places too), there was a lore which said a horse or pony would gain an extra guinea in value for each time it could roll from side to side
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4. |
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Comedy & Tragedy (Dr Elliot’s Remedy) by Elle Osborne
Tragedy sat down with Comedy
Comedy rolled up his sleeves
Tragedy sat back and folded her arms
To watch how the other half lives
Comedy called on the bartender
To set up the drinks for all round
And in they all came for the party
The unsteady, the unsung, and unsound
And oh what good fun could be found, me boys
As the drinking all flowed into song
And Tragedy could do nought but look on
And Comedy could do no wrong
Comedy, Comedy tell us another one
Comedy give us one more
Comedy, Comedy everyone’s waiting to see you
Fall flat on the floor
Comedy never knows when to call it a night
Tragedy’s already out the door
Comedy, Comedy everyone loves you
But they secretly love Tragedy more
Comedy sat down with Tragedy
Tragedy rolled up his sleeves
Comedy sat back and folded her arms,
To watch how the other half grieves
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5. |
Bread & Whisky
02:25
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Bread & Whisky by Elle Osborne
The old man called for bread and whisky,
Scoffed at the offer of milk for his tea
And up the hill, she hauled hay for the horses
And firewater for his Excellency
All the fields fell white and quiet
The fir trees stood firm and slow
Made for squeals and whispers
All the boughs bow low with snow
And down the hill, they’re carving paths thru the pack ice
The kids are writing curses to the neighbours in the snow
And the neighbours are cussing the parents
Salt in the wounds and grit on the roads
…
And down by the river at the navigation cottage
They’re under the weather but over the worst
And they’re planting primroses and in the back kitchen
They’ve taken out a stove and left a carousel horse
Oh me, of course, they’ve swapped a firebox for a carousel horse
And some pirate lad tried to get the better of me
Rings in his ears and stars in his eyes
Got no further than a long good night,
Then left a little something to remember him by
Oh me, oh my, left me just a little something to remember him by
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6. |
Stolen Goods
04:27
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Stolen Goods
I took something that wasn’t mine
Took it for a given
It took me down the long low roads
When I thought I was heading for heaven
But yon gold is nought but pinchbeck
And yon lace none but St Audrey’s
And I’ll wash my innocent hands
And seek out some less tawdry
So no more, no more, no more
This is no meeting, no more
There is no half-way, no more
No never more, no more, no more
Here’s you
Here’s your accident
Here’s me
Here’s my ambulance
No never, no more
Here’s you
Here’s your wether skin
Here’s me
Here’s my lanolin
No never, no more
Well no more, no more, no more
This is no meeting, no more
There is no half-way, no more
No never more, no more, no more
And the opposite of love is not hate
The opposite of love is longing to be loved
Which sometimes looks a lot like a hate
Especially from a distance, in a poor light
They’ll take your gold,
take your gold,
take your gold,
And spend it on sweeties
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7. |
The Taming of the Shrewd
03:17
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The Taming of the Shrewd by Elle Osborne
I wore the clothes of hard work and weariness
You saw the weight of earth and early rising
I saw the making of levity and the taking of liberty
And the air of one used to entitlement
But I’ve got a heart and a mouth
I’ve got three chords and the truth
I’m going to put them to good use
For the taming of the shrewd
I’ve never been too good at forgiveness
And I’m plain out of patience and kindness
And all I have left to me are the facts and my dignity
And a bad case of pure bloody-mindedness
But I’ve got a heart and a mouth
I’ve got three chords and the truth
I’m going to put them to good use
For the taming of the shrewd
I carry fire in one hand
Water in the other
And in between the flames and douse, there’s the heat and steam of the engine house
And it’s neither of them I can smother
But I’ve got a heart and a mouth
I’ve got three chords and the truth
I’m going to put them to good use
For the taming of the shrewd
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8. |
The Selkie
04:42
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The Selkie by Elle Osborne
When they cast you
to the wind and the sparkling sea,
a seal in the distance calling out to thee
And you’re home already
And they sang songs for you
Invoked a god for you
called on all that you
had loved or left or longed for
And we told our tales of you
Took the best of you
Made a new life for you
That oh I wish were true
And wherever you are now, I know they’ll love you
And wherever you are now, I hope you’re free
And wherever you are now, I hope they’ve got good whisky
And wherever you are now, I hope you rest in peace
And I hold you still
and will until
The seas
are rung out
and hung out
to dry
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9. |
Tundra
05:04
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Once you walked on pack-ice, arctic hunter
Seeking your prey across the tundra
Now I see you swim in melt water
Your hardest catch, the selkie’s daughter
If we want to keep things sacred
And not be wasted
Nor turn to hatred
And if we want to see these things thrive
More than just survive
Then this is no time for silence
I went gathering the fruits of the trees
And the jewels of the sky and of the seas
I laid them out for all to see
And offered them all up to thee
If we want to keep these things sacred
And not be wasted
Nor turn to hatred
And if we want to see these things thrive
More than just survive
Then this is no time for silence
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10. |
The Offing
03:38
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The Offing by Elle Osborne
The lord is not my shepherd, and I am not a sheep
And I’ve got all these secrets and promises to keep
And I don’t know where to put them, when I try to go to sleep
And Jesus I’m in pieces sometimes
I’m in trouble with the weather
I had sunshine on my shoes;
Now I’ve got 5 years of rainy days,
When I only saved for 2
I am honeycombed monochrome bones
Written in my chromosomes
Light chains, heavyweight
Waiting, weighted, wait
And out there in the offing
There’s a boat that sails the sea
It’s come a little early
But I’m ready
So sing me to the place
Where singing comes from
And I’ll tell you what I know
about the humdrum:
Know that everyone you meet,
Everyone you meet
has a life as complex as your own
Be as kind as you can,
Kinder than you can,
Kinder, kinder than you can
If we're all as kind as we can be,
As kind as we can be,
Someone will always notice
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11. |
The Sighs of Whales
01:31
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