> Lal Waterson > Songs > Song for Thirza

Song for Thirza

[Lal Waterson]

Lal Waterson sang a demo of her Song for Thirza at home in Hull in 1970 with Mike Waterson playing the guitar. It was published in 2004 on the Watersons’ 4CD anthology Mighty River of Song and in 2017 on the bonus CD of the reissue of her and Mike Waterson’s album Bright Phoebus.

Lal’s sister Norma Waterson sang Song for Thirza in 2002 on the tribute album Shining Bright—The Songs of Lal & Mike Waterson.

Jo Freya’s Lal Waterson Project sang Song for Thirza in 2007 oh their CD Lal.

Lindsey Woolsey (Elle Osborne and Melanie Wilson) sang Song for Thirza in 2007 on the CD Migrating Bird: The Songs of Lal Waterson.

Lyrics

Lal Waterson sings Song for Thirza

You were brought from the workhouse to live with us
And named yourself Dog on a very bad day
And I strayed in my youth and lost my precious dog
Whilst gazing through another new day
Where are you now my precious running dog
Who ran after me in my growing day?

Whilst hiding behind your bedroom door
Or kneeling on those scary attic stairs
I’d listen to the private conversations
That you had when you thought there was no-one there
Where are you now my precious running dog
Who ran after me in my growing years?

Wooden bed, rosary under pillow on the head
Exaggerating so that she could understand the words I said
And often I tried to teach her my name
Because she didn’t know it but she never could say it
Too young was I too late I tried
And reached out for the flower when she died

I’ve recently lost a very precious running dog
Who ran after me in my growing years
And if I could bring back my running dog
I’d shower her with kisses and tears
Where are you now my precious running dog
Who ran after me in my growing years?

Norma Waterson sings Song for Thirza

You were brought from the workhouse to live with us
And you named yourself Dog on a very bad day
And I strayed in my youth and lost my precious dog
Whilst gazing through another new day
Where are you now my precious running dog
Who ran after me in my growing years?

Whilst hiding outside your bedroom door
Or kneeling on those scary attic stairs
I’d listen to the private conversations
That you had when you thought there was no-one there
Where are you now my precious running dog
Who ran after me in my growing years?

Wooden bed, rosary under pillow on the head
Exaggerating so she could understand what I said
And often I tried to teach her my name
Because she didn’t know it she never could say it
Too young was I and too late I tried
To reach out for the flower when she died

I’ve recently lost a very precious running dog
Who ran after me in my growing years
And if I could bring back my running dog
I’d shower her with kisses and with tears
Where are you now my precious running dog
Who ran after me in my growing years?

Acknowledgements

Transcribed by Reinhard Zierke. Thanks to Ernie Fortnum for a lot of corrections.