They're Coming Back to the Water by Johnny Handle Recorded by Benny Graham & Jeff Dennison Early morning ripples on the old canal They're coming back to the water Painted castles, red and white roses on the door They're coming back to the water Voices calling on the towpath once again Motors chugging at the boating game Things on the cut ain't quite the same They're coming back to the water There's a brand new spirit on the pounds and locks They're coming back to the water Old and new narrow boats rolling off the chocks They're coming back to the water Branches and rushes are cut to make a way Mud and weed and sandbanks, they're all cleared away Boats fill up the moorings like the by-gone days They're coming back to the water Silver ribbons running right across the land They're coming back to the water Feel the old tiller moving in your hand They're coming back to the water Slip back in time, forget about your haste You'll come again and stay once you've had a taste There's a pulse and a soul, after years of waste They're coming back to the water Lazy old heron blinks his sleepy eye They're coming back to the water Flaps away on grey square wings through a misty sky They're coming back to the water Buntings and warblers in the reeds are waving tall Ducks and kingfishers, geese and moorhens call Come down to the cut you'll be friends with us all They're coming back to the water Ghosts of the horse and the butty full of coal They're coming back to the water Sometimes you'll see them as the bow ripples roll They're coming back to the water But one day soon when the world steadies down The boats will all have cargoes, the engines they will pound Fifty tons of transport that will never run you down They're coming back to the water Skipton to Selby, from Nottingham to Stoke They're coming back to the water From Chester down to London a new kind of folk They're coming back to the water Opening up from Bristol, down to London town Through the moors and mountains, round the rolling downs Floating in your home and travelling around They're coming back to the water Brindley and Telford smiling in their graves They're coming back to the water When they see their lifetimes work and how it has been saved They're coming back to the water Cast iron bridges, high aqueducts are fine Mighty tunnels, reservoirs, locks that steeply climb Now a living monument they're working all the time They're coming back to the water This song provided the title track to a show initially performed by Jeff Dennison and Benny Graham. After the former’s sad demise Benny presented it with the author of this song - Johnny Handle. A video recording of the show can be viewed on this site. Recorded on :
They're Coming Back to the Water by Johnny Handle Recorded by Benny Graham & Jeff Dennison Early morning ripples on the old canal They're coming back to the water Painted castles, red and white roses on the door They're coming back to the water Voices calling on the towpath once again Motors chugging at the boating game Things on the cut ain't quite the same They're coming back to the water There's a brand new spirit on the pounds and locks They're coming back to the water Old and new narrow boats rolling off the chocks They're coming back to the water Branches and rushes are cut to make a way Mud and weed and sandbanks, they're all cleared away Boats fill up the moorings like the by-gone days They're coming back to the water Silver ribbons running right across the land They're coming back to the water Feel the old tiller moving in your hand They're coming back to the water Slip back in time, forget about your haste You'll come again and stay once you've had a taste There's a pulse and a soul, after years of waste They're coming back to the water Lazy old heron blinks his sleepy eye They're coming back to the water Flaps away on grey square wings through a misty sky They're coming back to the water Buntings and warblers in the reeds are waving tall Ducks and kingfishers, geese and moorhens call Come down to the cut you'll be friends with us all They're coming back to the water Ghosts of the horse and the butty full of coal They're coming back to the water Sometimes you'll see them as the bow ripples roll They're coming back to the water But one day soon when the world steadies down The boats will all have cargoes, the engines they will pound Fifty tons of transport that will never run you down They're coming back to the water Skipton to Selby, from Nottingham to Stoke They're coming back to the water From Chester down to London a new kind of folk They're coming back to the water Opening up from Bristol, down to London town Through the moors and mountains, round the rolling downs Floating in your home and travelling around They're coming back to the water Brindley and Telford smiling in their graves They're coming back to the water When they see their lifetimes work and how it has been saved They're coming back to the water Cast iron bridges, high aqueducts are fine Mighty tunnels, reservoirs, locks that steeply climb Now a living monument they're working all the time They're coming back to the water This song provided the title track to a show initially performed by Jeff Dennison and Benny Graham. After the former’s sad demise Benny presented it with the author of this song - Johnny Handle. A video recording of the show can be viewed on this site. Recorded on :