After learning to play the guitar, the fiddle, and the piano, as well as to sing, Rusby played at many local folk festivals as a child and adolescent. She came to wider attention through her duets with her friend and fellow Barnsley folk singer Kathryn Roberts on the 1995 album Kate Rusby & Kathryn Roberts.
At about this time she joined, and became the lead vocalist of, the all-female Celtic folk band The Poozies. This led to her becoming a founding member of the group Equation, which included Kathryn Roberts and Seth Lakeman. Rusby left Equation (being replaced by Cara Dillon) to follow a more traditional direction and, in 1997, released her debut solo album Hourglass produced by Scottish fiddler John McCusker (to whom Rusby was married for some time).
In 1999 Rusby recorded Sleepless which earned her a Mercury Music Prize nomination and the BBC Folk Award for Best Album and Best Folk Singer.
Rusby continues to release albums mixing traditional and self-penned songs on her own Pure Records, winning fans as diverse as Graham Coxon (who provided the illustration for her album The Girl Who Couldn't Fly) and collaborator Ronan Keating.
2008 saw the release of Sweet Bells, an album of traditional Christmas songs interpreted by Rusby.
In 2010, Rusby released the album Make the Light, a collection of self-penned songs, and in 2011 issued a second collection of Christmas songs titled While Mortals Sleep.
www.katerusby.com
Wandering Soul
Kate Rusby Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And he knows he is homeward bound,
His heartbeat is the only sound he's known,
He once lost his way,
He knows now that was yesterday,
He fell down on his knees to pray for home.
We'll sing till the bells they sound,
We'll sing till the wandering soul is found.
We'll sing to the morning,
We'll sing till the bells they sound,
We'll sing till the wandering soul is found.
He's found his way at last,
With each turn a new bond was cast,
His friends now hold him steady fast and true.
With peace in his eyes,
The fear now is a pain in the skies,
With friends near he sees only skies of blue
We'll sing to the morning,
We'll sing till the bells they sound,
We'll sing till the wandering soul is found.
We'll sing to the morning,
We'll sing till the bells they sound,
We'll sing till the wandering soul is found.
It's clearer every day,
He knows now he is here to stay,
He cares not why he went away so long.
He's found where he belongs,
He know he's been here all along,
He is smiling as he joins his friends in song.
We'll sing to the morning,
We'll sing till the bells they sound,
We'll sing till the wandering soul is found.
We'll sing to the morning,
We'll sing till the bells they sound,
We'll sing now the wandering soul is found.
"Wandering Soul" is a song by Kate Rusby that tells the story of a man who lost his way but eventually finds his way back home. The first verse sets the scene for the rest of the song as we are introduced to a man who is excited to be finally returning home after being away for a long time. The line "His heartbeat is the only sound he's known" creates a sense of loneliness and isolation that the man experienced while he was lost. In the second verse, we learn that he had lost his way before but this time, he knows that he is finally on the right path. He is grateful and humbled to have found his way back and falls on his knees to pray.
The chorus is an invitation to celebrate the man's return. It is a song of love and joy that encourages everyone to sing until the "wandering soul" is found. In the third verse, we learn that the man has found new friends who have helped him find his way back home. His friends hold him steady and give him the support he needs. The fear that was once a pain in the skies has now disappeared and he sees only skies of blue.
The final verse reveals that the man has finally found where he belongs. He realizes that he has been here all along and is happy to be reunited with his friends. The song ends with a repetition of the chorus, reaffirming the joy and happiness that comes with the return of the "wandering soul."
Line by Line Meaning
Winter comes around,
As the seasons change, the wandering soul starts to head back home.
And he knows he is homeward bound,
He is well aware that he is on the path to return home.
His heartbeat is the only sound he's known,
As he travels, only the sound of his own heartbeat keeps him company.
He once lost his way,
The wandering soul had become lost at one point.
He knows now that was yesterday,
He now realizes that getting lost was in the past and he must move forward.
He fell down on his knees to pray for home.
In times of struggle and feeling lost, he prayed for guidance and to lead him back home.
We'll sing to the morning,
Friends sing together in the morning hours.
We'll sing till the bells they sound,
Friends will keep singing until the bells toll in the distance.
We'll sing till the wandering soul is found.
Together, the friends will keep singing and supporting one another until the wandering soul is found and at peace.
He's found his way at last,
The wandering soul finally found his way home.
With each turn a new bond was cast,
During the journey back home, new friendships were formed.
His friends now hold him steady fast and true.
Back home, his friends support him completely.
With peace in his eyes,
After his journey, he now has inner peace.
The fear now is a pain in the skies,
His former fears and worries are now distant memories.
With friends near he sees only skies of blue
With the comfort of his friends, he now has a positive outlook on life.
It's clearer every day,
As time goes on, the wandering soul's purpose becomes clearer.
He knows now he is here to stay,
He has accepted that he belongs here.
He cares not why he went away so long.
The wandering soul doesn't dwell on why he left for so long, instead he focuses on being present now.
He's found where he belongs,
Finally, he has found where he truly belongs.
He know he's been here all along,
He now understands that he's always belonged here.
He is smiling as he joins his friends in song.
The wandering soul is overjoyed as he sings with his friends.
Contributed by Julia Y. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
KittyStarlight
This is really beautiful. ⭐🌟⭐
Thanks for posting. ❤️💙❤️
FortunaMagica
As beautifully perfomed as always, i wish she would tour my country :-/
KittyStarlight
I have loved this song since 2017.
Maybe around the same time frame when you were posting.
Or not very long before, anyway.
KittyStarlight
Prodigal son.
Heidi's grandfather from the book Heidi. 📖👧
And various other examples which might sort of suit.