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Six Candles in the Chandlery Words and Music by Bill Pere Six Candles in the chandlery, burning in the night A silver haired old man stands silhouetted in the light He hears out in the harbor, drifting in across the mist A chantey being chanted as an anchor starts to lift As the candles burn down slowly and the anchor is goin' up He knows he can't deny that his boy is growin' up There's a crew out there of fifty; He says a special prayer for one He asks a safe first journey for his one and only son... My son, I'll keep six candles burning in the chandlery each night And I hope that in your heart, you can forget we had that fight I know you want to see the world young man, but since your mother died I confess I'm gettin' scared of finding no one at my side The store is all I have to give you, it's everything I own Remember, take my love with you, let it guide you safe back home In the sixth week since his son had gone, he felt something was wrong He couldn't quite define it, but the feeling was quite strong If he could see five hundred miles to look in on his lad He'd see the ship was drifting aimlessly, for the captain had gone mad... He'd tossed the sextants overboard, the clocks, the compass, gone. That crew was in for hellfire, as the sunlight brought the dawn In the captain's cabin were the ripped up maps and charts They were hanging on the fine teak walls, with the captain playing darts... My son, I'll keep six candles burning in the chandlery each night And I hope that in your heart, you can forget we had that fight I know you want to see the world young man, but since your mother died I confess I'm gettin' scared of finding no one at my side The store is all I have to give you, it's everything I own Remember, take my love with you, let it guide you safe back home Somehow, that old man knew there was trouble for his son, He wondered what to do as he lit the candles one by one He closed his eyes, he clasped his hands without despair For he'd never underestimate the power of a prayer... Out there on the ship, they did not know where or how But they saw a light off in the distance as the first mate turned the bow The ocean surf hissed sibilant as it washed across the deck The chandler's son sat in the crow's nest straining his stiff neck He watched that misty midnight beacon, that glow off in the sky But then the spyglass clouded as the teardrops filled his eyes... For as they sailed in closer, he could see it clear and plain, It was his own safe hometown harbor... and the chandlery in flame! As he finally set foot off the ship, he found himself in the embrace Of a sooty, silver haired old man with ashes on his face... My son, I kept six candles burning in the chandlery each night And I hoped that in your heart, you could forget we had that fight I know you wanted to see the world young man, but since your mother died I confess I'd been gettin' scared of finding no one at my side That store was all I had to give you, it was everything I owned His son said “Dad, I';m here to stay now, you'll never be alone...” © Copyright Bill Pere, MysticMusic/KidThink Music All Rights Reserved |
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"If a man tried to take his time on earth and prove before he died what one man's life could be worth, I wonder what would happen to this world?" --- Harry Chapin |