Ballad Of St Anne's Reel
David Mallett
He was stranded in some tiny town on fair Prince Edward Island
Waiting for a ship to come and find him
A one horse place, a friendly face, some coffee and a tiny trace
Of fiddlin' in the distance far behind him
A dime across the counter then, a shy hello, a brand new friend
A walk along the street in the wintry weather
A yellow light, an open door, a "Welcome friend, there's room for more"
Soon they're standing there inside together
He said "I've heard that tune before somewhere but I can't remember when
Was it on some other friendly shore, did I hear it on the wind
Was it written on the sky above, I think I heard it from someone I love
But I never heard it sound so sweet since then
How his feet begin to tap, a little boy says "I'll take your hat"
He's caught up in the magic of his smile
Then leaps the heart inside him when and off across the floor he sends
His clumsy body, graceful as a child
He said "There's magic in the fiddler's arms and there's magic in this town
There's magic in the dancers' feet and the way they put them down
Smiling people everywhere, boots and ribbons and locks of hair
Laughter and old blue suits and Easter gowns"
The sailor's gone, the room is bare, the old piano's sitting there
Someone's hat's left hanging on the rack
Some empty chairs, the wooden floor that feels the touch of shoes no more
Waiting for the dancers to come back
And the fiddle's in the closet of some daughter of the town
Strings are broke and the bow is gone and the case is buttoned down
But often on December nights when the air is cold and the wind is right
There's a melody comes passing through this town
