> Sandy Denny > Songs > Alan Richardson: Queen of Peace

Queen of Peace

[Alan Richardson]

Alan Richardson wrote this song as a tribute to Sandy Denny. He comments:

I wish to thank you with all my heart for your tremendous web site for Sandy and Trevor.I fell in love with her voice in 1968 listening to her first 3 LPs. After discovering your site recently I was so moved that I feel I would like to contribute my song lyrics from 1981. I am an unpublished singer songwriter and I wrote this song for Sandy’s memory. If you think it suitable could you place it on her site for me? Now I know she had a reputation for being like “one of the boys,” drinking and swearing etc!! ... but this song is about her as an artist. It is called Queen of Peace.

Lyrics

You could make volcanoes sleep
Dragons smile and willows weep
Melt away the avalanche
Make the birds sing on the branch

Give the nettle sweet perfume
Bring the sunshine to my room
Queen of peace forever rule
Kings now sit upon a stool

Joan of Arc took up her sword
You wrote and sang your own true word
Now we remember Joan of Arc
But you’re still sleeping in the dark (which was true then)

But time will re-discover you
Repentence is well over-due
Prepare the table for the feast
Raise your glass to the Queen of Peace

Time has cut the diamond well
Future generations tell of a
Unicorn, a trusted steed
With blood of rose if it should bleed

Through the painting to the hand
Where rocks lie fallen, castles stand
Rivers flowing on the moon
Will you play me one more tune?

Will you stay for one more round
Of Matty Groves or Nottamun town?
Last night I met you in my sleep
Sandy Denny... queen of peace....

(And with you in my sight
No longer’s Dark the Night.)