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Where Two Rivers Meet (Mary's Dream)

from Black Tin Barns (1995) by Shaun Belcher

/

about

Whilst living in Edinburgh I attended the first year of a evening course in Scottish Cultural Studies. Tutors included Murdo Mac Donald and Cairns Craig and I met Robert Alan Jamieson and Hamish Henderson. It was fantastic. As part of it I wrote an essay on a lesser known Scottish poet William Neil and researched this song through studying a ballad from Kirkudbright called 'Mary's Dream'. This is my reinterpretation of the romantic story attached to the writing of the song 'Mary's Dream'. The full story too long for here so please read the extra material here:

www.kirkcudbright.co/historyarticle.asp?ID=122&p=7&g=4

The last verse is based on 'New Eden' in Dickens 'American Notes'.

There is a natural vantage point in Dumfries known as John Lowe's seat at the point where 'Two rivers meet'.

lyrics

WHERE TWO RIVERS MEET

I WAS BORN WHERE TWO RIVERS MEET
I LEARNT TO PLOUGH AND I LEARNT TO REAP
THEN I WENT TO THE UNIVERSITY
AND I LEARNT ALL THE WORDS THE RICH MEN NEED


OH MARY, OH MARY,
WILL YOU WAIT FOR ME
WHERE TWO RIVERS MEET


WE LEFT THE PORT AT DEAD OF NIGHT
THE FULL MOON ON THE SAILS DID SHINE
WE PASSED THROUGH LANDS OF ICE AND SNOW
TWO DIED BELOW, THEIR BODIES FROZE


THEN I FOUND A PLACE IN AMERIKY AND CUT BACK THE TREES
AND A SNAKE IT BIT INTO ME
THEN I DREAMT I WAS DELIRIOUS
I DIDNT KNOW WHAT TIME OR YEAR IT WAS

AND I THOUGHT I SAW YOU IN YOUR WHITE GOWN
TRIPPING ACROSS THAT EMPTY GROUND
BUT IT WAS JUST THE WATER OF THE FLOOD
AS IT ROSE AROUND MY HOUSE

AND I WAS DEAD...

OH MARY WILL YOU WEEP FOR ME.
WHERE TWO RIVERS MEET.

credits

from Black Tin Barns (1995), released January 1, 1995

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Shaun Belcher Nottingham, UK

If you’ve ever dreamt of Daniel Johnston doing an impression of Conor Oberst singing Jeff Tweedy songs,
then you must listen to this.

Bill Kerry III

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