Harbor Town (LIVE) Original by Tom Cellie new england

Harbor Town is a fictional place that exists in my mind. It is inspired of course by real experiences and places I have been growing up in New England. In Harbor Town life is harsh but the people still would never leave because the spirit of the town IS the people and their ancestors before them. New England is rife with history and New Englanders EMBRACE their past like nowhere else I have been in America.




I'm like that myself. I have lived in the Mid West 11 years and I can STILL smell the salt air that would permeate the upstairs of my house in the evening as we were just 5 blocks from the beach in Beverly, Ma. I remember vividly the summers we spent on the grass at Dane Street Beach or the sensory overload of jumping into 45 degree water to swim out to the raft (a floating dock chained to the beach that the city would put out for the summer every year) on a 90 degree day just to lie on the warm boards and dry in the sun only to brave the freezing water when you had to go back to shore. I remember partying on the Jetty in the evening and tying rope around a 12 pack of beer so we could keep it cold by submerging it in the freezing water. I remember summer nights partying on any number of yachts that were docked at Jubilee Yacht Club in Beverly as my best friend John did odd jobs at the club. Oh if those boat owners only knew what we did on their boats when they were home in their seaside mansions sleeping with their families.

Honestly I have post card memories and I could go on and on and on about all the amazing experiences growing up in a seaside town allotted me. I might have to just video blog some thoughts and memories.

I hope the lyrics paint a picture for you and perhaps before the song is over YOU too will smell the salt air and feel the cold mist of a crashing wave on your face in Harbor Town.

Lyrics:

The main pavilion's frozen
The sidewalks all covered in snow
Made dirty by the people that come and go
living lives they wished were different
passing by with no commitment

The harbor in this sleepy town
resonates with familiar sounds
as the heartbeat of the northern coast
calls the fisherman to board their boats
and a bittersweet dawn lights the frozen ground
for the people in this place called harbor town

Well at least we got the seasons
Cept the winters here can get as cold as hell
and the jobs ran so far back I can't tell
But I'd never leave for nothing
Least our history is something

The salt air in this frozen town
drapes the people like a royal gown
and life plays out another day
as the jetty breaks the crashing waves
and the sea just keeps on soaking hallowed ground
for the people in this place called harbor town

The harbor master
can't come faster
Cause he's in a no wake zone
Let the lighthouse lead you home
Though his light is growing dim

and thru your grey sky
don't you ask why
keep fishing for the truth
when there's nothing you can do
Just let the fog roll in

The main pavilions frozen
Ice hangs from gables facing east
like a artist mother nature paints the streets
She's been working hard for centuries
But on the boulevard there's new dreams

The sun sets on this vital town
and cold winter puts the hammer down
as the night embraces frozen pine
like it has before a million times
and colonials cook the supper that they found
from the sea that pounds the coast in Harbor Town

Category:

Music

Tags:

• tom
• cellie
• new
• england
• beverly
• ma
• song
• folk
• music
• acoustic
• guitar
• live
• singer
• rock
• alternative
• tenor
• voice
• raspy

[bluefirekitsune]

I'm a New Englander (from coastal Connecticut) studying abroad in England right now, and I've had a bad spat of homesickness because of an illness, so I was looking up music that had to do with New England, and oh man, your song made me cry a little, it reminded me so much of home. Thank you so much - I really needed it. You have a beautiful voice.

[skyhost]

Many thanks for your kind words. I too was homesick when I wrote the tune. Hope you get to feeling better blue, keep looking up!

[TERUKO5]

Really good song! Excellent lyrics. Five stars and added to my favourites.

[skyhost]

Really appreciate the love TERUK. Hope it gave you a visual.

[snatchbanditz]

have you ever hear of Icehouse's song Harbour Town... hmmm its about sydney

[Oswlek]

You have a capo on right? I hear what sounds to be a C, but I think it is just the open E capoed reonating the entire time and it is awesome. For some reason I just love the bassy texture it adds.

So far I have gotten chills every single time you started singing. What I would give to have your voice.

Ironically, I was going going to mention Springsteen specifically on the other storytelling song but didn't want to take up too much space.

[DivaBizInc]

Hey Tom

Just stumbled onto this video. I love this song and love your music. Although it's a little different, I grew up in a harbor town, too. A colonial town--Annapolis, MD. And, swimming in Weems Creek under the train trestle near the Naval Academy and St. John's College on a hot summerd ay. Wow. What memories.

Take care

Angela Baden

DivaBiz at Prosperity Cast Network

[EugeRomero]

I also hate working on what I love doing! Haha, weird. Stiiiiil don't get enough of this song, I love it!