Ralph McTell - The Ferryman
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Uploaded by lennondylan1 on Jan 20, 2009
Oh, the traveller moving on the land, behold I give you, I give you the travelling man.
And he's very heavy laden with the questions in his burden.
Lo, and I give you the travelling man.
He has crossed the mountains, he has forded streams.
He has spent a long time surviving on his dreams.
Many times he's tried to lighten up his heavy load.
But his compromises fail him and he ends back on the road.
Oh the traveller he is weary, the travelling man he is tired.
For the road is never ending in his fear he has cried aloud for a saviour
And in vain for a teacher, someone to lighten up the load
And he's heard the sounds of war in a gentle shower of rain
And the whisperings of despair that he could not explain.
The reason for his journey, or the reason it began
Or was there any reason for the travelling man.
At last he reached a river so beautiful and wide
But the current was so strong he could not reach the other side
And the weary travelling man looked for a ferryman strong enough to row against the tide,
And the ferryman was old but he moved the boat so well,
Or did the river move the boat? The traveller could not tell.
Said the ferryman, "You're weary and the answers that you seek,
Are in the singing river, listen humbly it will speak."
Oh, the traveller closed his eyes and he listened and he heard
Only the river murmuring and the beating of his heart.
Then he heard the river laughing, and he heard the river crying
And in it was the beauty and the sadness of the world
And he heard the sounds of dying, but he heard the sounds of birth
And slowly his ears heard all the sounds of earth.
The sounds blended together and they became a whole
And the rhythm was his heartbeat to the music his soul.
And the river had no beginning, as it flowed into the sea
And the seas filled the clouds and the rains filled the streams
And as slowly as the sunrise, he opened up his eyes
To find the ferryman had gone, the boat moved gently on the tide.
And the river flowed within him, and with it he was one
And the seas moved around the earth, and the earth around the sun.
And the traveller was the river, was the boat and ferryman,
Was the journey and the song that the singing river sang.
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Top Comments
All Comments (42)
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oh the traveller ? i hope he is refering to the gypsy travellers :) bcause omg my people carried a very heavy load :( what with discrimination and hatred :( against my mumand dad and my people in general :( but anyway we survived :) and things are soo much better for gypsy`s now :) thank god :) my people suffered enough at the hands of society :(
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anyone know where I can download this? Can't find it anywhere, not even Itunes....thanks
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Beautiful.
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AMAZING, Cheers The Makem Folk Singer
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His guitar picking reminds me of John Denver's with Take Me Home Country Roads.
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@vicst87 sorry to hear that...ralph has a one off voice i remember as a child watching him on tv..i still play kenny the kangaroo to my 1 year old..he loves it..
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wonderful song, thanks! Greetings from Berlin Jörg
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@vicst87 I HAVE DONE SOME WORK ABOUT YOU, AND HAVE COME TOO THE CONCLUSION,THAT YOU ARE ONE BIG FAT FECKING LIAR. SO FECK OFF, AND TAKE YOUR FECKING LIES WITH YOU. STUPID FECKING WANKER!!!!!!!!!!!
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This was always a great, but under-rated album. A great gatefold cover on textured board, and some of the best songs Ralph ever wrote. His next album, "Easy" was a let-down by comparison. Thankyou for posting.
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Ralph McTell Have the best melodies I have ever heard.
The lyric is so touching, the music so beautiful.
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Mctell, Leonard Cohen and Al Sewart dragged me from 16 to university. this song was at time the best.
stepwilm 2 years ago 12
@rustino08 yes it is. Ralph made this song to my grandfather because his life was about survival. He was werry poor but he became one of the best platform drawers in the world. He died 2 years ago because of cancer;( He was my life. I love him and my uncle ralph...
vicst87 1 year ago 11