Seems the past few days I’ve heard so many people say they had a hard night with elusive sleep. This one is for you all.
JOHN OF DREAMS
When midnight comes, good people homeward tread;
Seek now your blankets and your feather bed.
Home is the rover, his journey’s over.
Yield up the nighttime to old John of Dreams,
Yield up the nighttime to old John of Dreams.Across the hills the sun has gone astray;
Tomorrow’s cares are many dreams away
Home is the rover, her journey’s over.
Yield up the darkness to old John of Dreams,
Yield up the darkness to old John of Dreams.Both man and master in the night are one;
All things are equal when the day is done.
The Prince and the plowman, the slave and the freeman.
All find their comfort in old John of Dreams,
All find their comfort in old John of Dreams.Now as you sleep the dreams come winging clear;
The hawks of morning cannot harm you here.
Sleep is a river, flows on forever,
And for your boatman choose old John of Dreams,
And for your boatman choose old John of Dreams.Words copyright by Bill Caddick, Music by Tchaikovsky (tune borrowed from a southern Italian lullabye entitled Piva Piva).
Jean Redpath version Best version found on iTunes
Or for the best of all, get this version instead! Bok, Muir & Trickett.
