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Where The Wind Decides To Blow

from Walking Into White by Sarah McQuaid

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about

This is one of three songs on this album that were inspired by Arthur Ransome’s “Swallows and Amazons” series. I’d spent the past year or so reading aloud all twelve books to my two children, in order, one chapter every night at bedtime, and kept being struck by the metaphorical potential of various incidents. In the fourth book in the series, “Winter Holiday”, two children have attached a sail to their sled and taken it out on the frozen lake. It’s all going brilliantly until the blizzard arrives ... like so many things that seem like great fun until you discover that you’re not in control of the situation and it suddenly gets a bit scary.

lyrics

We saw the cloud approaching
Like an anvil in the sky
We saw the skaters making for the shore
But we thought we’d read the signal right
To start across the ice
And so we rigged our little sail and headed north
We headed north

The storm was down on top of us
Before we had the chance
To look around and see the danger that was coming
It’s hard to steer without a tiller
When the wind cuts through your hands
And stings your eyes until the rimy tears are running
The tears are running
 
We’ve got to ride it
We’re blinded
In the white-out of the driving snow
We’re going where the wind decides to blow

This little sled was never made
To hold up in such weather
The mast is bent and creaking in the wind
Hang on tight and close your eyes
At least we’re still together
Even if we can’t escape the fix we’re in
The fix we’re in

We’ve got to ride it
We’re blinded
In the white-out of the driving snow
We’re going where the wind decides to blow

credits

from Walking Into White, released February 2, 2015
Sarah McQuaid

Sarah – Vocals & Guitar
Adam Pierce – Drums, Tambourine, Bass, Fender Jaguar
Kivie Cahn-Lipman – Cello

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about

Sarah McQuaid Penzance, UK

“One of the most instantly recognisable voices in current music … Shades of Joni Mitchell in a jam with Karen Carpenter and Lana Del Rey.” —Neil March, Trust The Doc

“Captivating, unorthodox songwriting … layered satin vocals ... enthralling, harrowing arrangements … a gateway into a true innovator’s soul.” —PopMatters

See sarahmcquaid.com/about for more info.
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