SONG TO THE SIREN*

on the floating shipless oceans · i did all my best to smile · 'til your singing eyes and fingers · drew me loving to your isle · and you sang, sail to me, sail to me, let me enfold you · here i am, here i am, waiting to hold you · did i dream you dreamed about me · were you hare when i was fox · now my foolish boat is leaning · broken lovelorn on your rocks · for you sing, touch me not, touch me not, come back tomorrow · oh my heart, oh my heart shies from the sorrow · oh i was puzzled as the newborn child · i was riddled at the tide · should i stand amid the breakers · or should i lie with death my bride · hear me sing, swim to me, swim to me, let me enfold you · here i am, here i am, waiting to hold you

(*) "Song To The Siren" from the album "Music Of Ireland: Welcome Home (Part One)" (March 2, 2010) · Composed by Tim Buckley and Larry Beckett

I first heard this song, late at night, some 25 years ago, at Canterbury, lost in an ocean of unknown beauty. It was a sweet howl, but I never caught the name of it. It was a beautiful voice, woman voice. I went into music shops and sang the melody to the employees there. They laughed at me, and dismissed me saying: "There is no such song, mister".

There weren't any smart-phones then to do the job for you. All you had was your fantasy and some luck.

One day, when the tide of destiny took me to the BBC, I remembered that I had heard that song, late one night, on a Radio2 show. I went o Broadcasting House, and asked them to check-out a few specific dates that I gave them. They found nothing.

Then, I started singing the melody to them as well. Everyone laughed again, except one girl. A shy girl, India-like, standing in a corner at the Music Library. "That's the Song to The Siren", she said. "It's a Tim Buckley Song". "No", I cracked. It was a woman singing. Then it must've been "This Mortal Coil". Bingo!

And that's how I discovered what a fantastic musician Tim Buckley was!...