John O'Dreams

Words: Bill Caddick, Music: from Tchaikovsky's 6th Symphony

These soothing words by Bill Caddick lend a very different feel to the music of Tchaikovsky's Sixth Symphony. It was called the 'Pathetique' by the composer himself. He was going through a particularly difficult period in his life when he wrote it.

When midnight comes and people homeward tread
Seek now your blanket and your feather bed
Home comes the rover, his journey's over
Yield up the night time to old John O'Dreams
Yield up the night time to old John O'Dreams

Across the hills the sun has gone astray
Tomorrow's cares are many dreams away
The stars are flying, your candle is dying
Yield up the darkness to old John O'Dreams
Yield up the darkness to old John O'Dreams

Both man and master in the night are one
All things are equal when the day is done
The prince and the ploughman, the slave and the freeman
All find their comfort in old John O'Dreams
All find their comfort in old John O'Dreams

When sleep it comes the dreams are running clear
The hawks of morning cannot reach you here
Sleep is a river, flow on forever
And for your boatman choose old John O'Dreams
And for your boatman choose old John O'Dreams