Parched Land - rain come

Lyrics

[TRACK TITLE: PARCHED LANDS] [TEMPO: 98 BPM] [4/4 — EARTHY SOUTHERN ENGLISH FOLK] [INTRO — SOLO, CLOSE VOCAL] WarTer, WarTer, WarTer — we need you now. WarTer come, WarTer come down. [VERSE 1] WarTer come — sun beat hard on the brow o’ the down, dust in the field, dust round the town. the Ouse ran low an’ the Uck near dry, WarTer come — not a drop from that white-hot sky. [TURN] old Mister Lunn said, “oi seen it afore — round ’ere, mate, it’s all or nothin’, that’s sure.” [CHORUS] WarTer come to the parched lands, dry to the bone, chalk on the hill, dust on the stone. day after day, still no rain come down, WarTer, WarTer, WarTer — Sussex needs ’ee now. just a liTTle, just a drink or two — not a river, just enough to see us through. WarTer come — Sussex needs ’ee now. [INSTRUMENTAL — 8 BARS] [FIDDLE / GUITAR / FOOT-STOMP] [VERSE 2] WarTer come — grass gone yellow, ’edges hung low, streams where us paddled got nowhere to go. fields cracked open, caTTle stood still, heat sat heavy from valley to hill. WarTer come — funny old county, flood one year, then us spends all summer wishin’ rain were ’ere. [CHORUS] WarTer come to the parched lands, dry to the bone, chalk on the hill, dust on the stone. day after day, still no rain come down, WarTer, WarTer, WarTer — Sussex needs ’ee now. just a liTTle, just a drink or two — not a river, just enough to see us through. WarTer come — Sussex needs ’ee now. [VERSE 3 — WARMER, MORE HUMAN] WarTer come — ’ere’s to family, ’ere’s to friends, them as stay close when the good weather ends. land turns hard, long days burn, they keep us steady till beTTer days turn. [BREAKDOWN — STRIPPED BACK] WarTer… WarTer… WarTer… just a liTTle, just enough. come on, rain — Sussex needs ’ee now. [FINAL CHORUS — FULL GROUP] WarTer come to the parched lands, dry to the bone, chalk on the hill, dust on the stone. whatever the weather, whatever us goes through, WarTer, WarTer, WarTer — us still needs you. just a liTTle, just a drink or two — not a river, just enough to see us through. WarTer come — Sussex needs ’ee now. [OUTRO — CALL AND RESPONSE] WarTer, WarTer, WarTer — mind every drop. [GROUP:] mind every drop. WarTer, WarTer, WarTer — use what us got. [GROUP:] use what us got. WarTer come, WarTer come — Sussex needs ’ee now.