Grey November Day

It's another grey November day
And the last ship in the harbour
Has stowed its sails away
Another year has come and gone
And everyone but me
Is moving on

Let go your leaves, you stubborn trees
Lest the wind should take you
And break you where you stand
I too will let go what I please
With barren branches reach to hold
The winter's hand

It's another cold November night
There's a flicker in the lantern,
You must shield your feeble light
From the wind and from the rain
Find the fuel to burn bright again

Let go your leaves, you stubborn trees
Lest the wind should take you
I too will let go what I please
With barren branches reach to hold
The winter's hand

It's another grey November day
And I'm waiting for the winter wind
To sweep the skies away
Another year has come and gone
And everyone but me
Is moving on...

This song was written from the point of view of a sailor standing on Toronto Island, looking back over the empty harbour as the winter was setting in.

It became the centre-piece of a live recording of the same name, and wound up on "Roll Away."

It's sung a capella. I feel like a rack of bare bones singing it, and there's something right about that.

Toronto, 2003.