"Christmas On Coral Island" lyrics
From above, we see them: A young man and his girl, Shirl', wandering the Coral Island promenade
It is Christmas Eve
To their right, we can see the bouys, bobbing on the black sea, and far on the horizon, the twinkle of lights from gigantic ships illuminate the tide
The young couple wonder if, on those ships, sleeping sailors are thinking of their far away families
As they pass, shrieks of laughter pour from the indoor fair, and beside the pier, the last ferry honks a merry blast as it departs, taking the revellers back to Rainland
Regardless of the season, the fair is booming. The music, the screams of girls on the whirling rides, the din of the slot machines relieving punters of their hard-earned cash, is constant. The place is packed: even the fortune teller is doing good business, as is Headless Edward and the Bearded Lady.
The young couple have seen it all before. They grew up here, know some of the original fairground people: Luna the Fire Eater, The Mermaid Twins, Lafayette.
They come off the promenade into the weird and winding streets of the island. Here, clusters of houses are decked out in bright fairy lights. Inside, parents are busy wrapping parcels, some for stockings and some to go under the glittering tree. Upstairs, children lie awake upstairs, too excited for sleep.
Here, the breeze is rich with the smell of baking cakes. It brings back memories of when mince pies and Christmas puddings graced their groaning table.
As they come to the top of Arklow Hill, they can see the whole island; the gigantic cranes, idle on the mainland, the dark of the Dips, two lovers snogging under a sandstone cliff. The distant pubs are noisy and heaving with merrymakers.
Nearby, the old people's home is quiet. To the old folks, Christmas is nothing new, but they will play along tomorrow, pull a wishbone, wear paper hats and new cardigans bought by relatives who rarely visit.
The church bell ringers too are getting ready to peel in Christmas Day, to welcome in worshipers who are assembling for the Watchnight service
Meanwhile, the young man and his girl Shirl' decide to call it a night, head home to their own tree and fireside
They enjoyed their wander together
Beyond the bay, a bank of rolling clouds rises slowly over the big cranes in the harbour and stops there, as if frozen in time
"What is it?" asks Shirl', before they leave
"The future", says the young man
The future could hold anything: world war, peace on earth, or nothing at all except for the sound of time cascading into itself
None of it seems to matter
Right now, they have each other
That's all that is important, on this Christmas Eve, on Coral Island
They have each other
It is Christmas Eve
To their right, we can see the bouys, bobbing on the black sea, and far on the horizon, the twinkle of lights from gigantic ships illuminate the tide
The young couple wonder if, on those ships, sleeping sailors are thinking of their far away families
As they pass, shrieks of laughter pour from the indoor fair, and beside the pier, the last ferry honks a merry blast as it departs, taking the revellers back to Rainland
Regardless of the season, the fair is booming. The music, the screams of girls on the whirling rides, the din of the slot machines relieving punters of their hard-earned cash, is constant. The place is packed: even the fortune teller is doing good business, as is Headless Edward and the Bearded Lady.
The young couple have seen it all before. They grew up here, know some of the original fairground people: Luna the Fire Eater, The Mermaid Twins, Lafayette.
They come off the promenade into the weird and winding streets of the island. Here, clusters of houses are decked out in bright fairy lights. Inside, parents are busy wrapping parcels, some for stockings and some to go under the glittering tree. Upstairs, children lie awake upstairs, too excited for sleep.
Here, the breeze is rich with the smell of baking cakes. It brings back memories of when mince pies and Christmas puddings graced their groaning table.
As they come to the top of Arklow Hill, they can see the whole island; the gigantic cranes, idle on the mainland, the dark of the Dips, two lovers snogging under a sandstone cliff. The distant pubs are noisy and heaving with merrymakers.
Nearby, the old people's home is quiet. To the old folks, Christmas is nothing new, but they will play along tomorrow, pull a wishbone, wear paper hats and new cardigans bought by relatives who rarely visit.
The church bell ringers too are getting ready to peel in Christmas Day, to welcome in worshipers who are assembling for the Watchnight service
Meanwhile, the young man and his girl Shirl' decide to call it a night, head home to their own tree and fireside
They enjoyed their wander together
Beyond the bay, a bank of rolling clouds rises slowly over the big cranes in the harbour and stops there, as if frozen in time
"What is it?" asks Shirl', before they leave
"The future", says the young man
The future could hold anything: world war, peace on earth, or nothing at all except for the sound of time cascading into itself
None of it seems to matter
Right now, they have each other
That's all that is important, on this Christmas Eve, on Coral Island
They have each other
