Ballad Of St. Anne's Reel
Tommy Makem & Liam Clancy Lyrics

He was stranded in a tiny town on Fair Prince Edward's Island
He found himself stuck in a small, secluded place in Prince Edward's Island

Waiting for a ship to come and find him
He was waiting for a boat to rescue him from his isolation

A one horse place, a friendly face
It was a small town with a welcoming and amicable atmosphere

Some coffee and a tiny trace of fiddling in the distance far behind him
He tasted the local coffee and heard faint violin playing in the background

A dime across the counter there, a shy hello, a brand new friend
He met a new friend at the diner where he paid for coffee and they exchanged greetings

And a walk along the street in wintry weather
He strolled along the snow-covered streets

A yellow light, and open door
He saw a lit window and an unbarred entrance

A welcome friend there's room for more
His new acquaintance warmly invited him in and hinted that he could meet others

And then they're standing there inside together
They both entered and remained in the building

He said, "I've heard that tune before somewhere
He recognized the tune that was playing

But I can't remember when
He couldn't recall the specific time or place when he heard it

Was it on some other friendly shore, or did I hear it on the wind?
He wondered if he heard it elsewhere or if it was merely a figment of his imagination

Was it written on the sky above, think I heard it from someone I loved
He pondered whether the song was divinely inscribed or if he heard it from someone significant in his past

I never heard a sound so sweet since then"
He believed it was the sweetest sound he's heard in a long time

And now his feet begin to tap, a little boy says, "I'll take your hat"
The rhythm of the music compelled him to start tapping his feet and a little boy offered to take his hat

And he's caught up in the magic of her smile
He was captivated by the charm of the woman's smile

Leap, the heart inside him went, and off across the floor he sent
He felt a sudden rush of emotion that made him dance across the floor

His clumsy body graceful as a child
Despite his awkward movements, he looked as elegant as a child

He said, "There's magic in the fiddler's arm, and there's magic in this town
He believed that the violinist's skill and the town he was in possessed a magical quality

There's magic in the dancers' feet and the way they put them down
He marveled at the dancers' movements and the way their feet hit the ground

People smiling everywhere, boots and ribbons, locks of hair
He observed people smiling and noticed their clothing and hairstyles

And laughter and old blue suits and Easter gowns
He heard laughter and saw people wearing tattered suits and elegant Easter dresses

The sailor's gone, the room is bare, the old piano's sitting there
The sailor who came with him has departed and the room is empty except for an old piano

Someone's hat's left hanging on the rack
An abandoned hat still hung on a hook

Empty chairs and the wooden floor, that feels the touch of shoes no more
The chairs are all vacant and the wooden floor no longer vibrates from the dancers' footsteps

A waiting for the dancers to come back
The place quietly awaits for more dancing to occur

The fiddle's in the closet of some daughter of the town
The violin is stored in a daughter of the town's closet

The strings are broke, the bow is gone, and the cover's buttoned down
The strings are broken, the bow is lost, and the protective cover is closed

But sometimes on December nights, when the air is cold and the wind is right
However, occasionally on chilly winter nights with proper wind conditions

There's a melody that passes through the town
The melody of the fiddle's tune travels through the town