[Lyric] The Ballad of St. Annes Reel (The Stillwater Hobos)

He was stranded in a tiny town on fair Prince Edward Island
Waiting for a ship to come and find him
A one horse place, a friendly face, some coffee, and a tiny trace
Of fiddling in the distance far behind him

And a dime across the counter then, a shy hello, a brand new friend
A walk along the street in the wintry weather
A yellow light, an open door, and a welcome friend there's room for more
And then they're standing there inside together

He said I've heard that tune before somewhere but I can't remember when
Was it on some other friendly shore, did I hear it in the wind
Was it written on the sky above, I think I heard it from someone I love
But I never heard it sound so sweet since then

And now his feet begin to tap and a little boy says I'll take your cap
And he spun off in the magic of her smile
And leaped the heart within him went when off across the floor he sent
His clumsy body graceful as a child

He said there's magic in the fiddlers and there's magic in this town
There's magic in the dancers' feet and the way they put them down
People smiling everywhere, boots and fiddles, locks of hair
And laughter oh blue suits and Easter gowns
The sailor's gone, the room is bare, the old piano's sitting there
Someone's hat's left hanging on the rack
The empty chairs, the wooden floor that feels the touch of shoes no more
A-waiting for the dancers to come back

And the fiddle's in the closet of some daughter of the town
The strings are broke, the bow is gone, and the cover’s buttoned down
But sometimes on December nights when the air is cold and the wind is right
There's a melody that passes through the town