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Deirdre Graham - Where Have All The Children Gone?

from The Skye & Lochalsh Community Album Project by Louis Barabbas

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about

Inspired by conversations in community spaces around Skye and Lochalsh about the closure and mothballing of schools in the area and the dwindling number of children due to young families being priced out of the housing market.
Recorded by local musicians as part of the Culture Collective project funded by Creative Scotland and co-ordinated by local events charity SEALL. Profits from album sales go to Alzheimer Scotland.
www.seall.co.uk
www.culturecollective.scot

lyrics

You could paper these walls in old school photographs
I can name them all
You seem amazed there were so many of us
This boy fixed my slates and leading
I attended that girl’s wedding
And there was just no forgetting what became of her

But now the school is all but empty
These old pictures easily outnumber those who still attend
Two brothers, one per room
A playground quiet as a tomb
They closed the place this afternoon
What will it become?

Where have all the children gone?
And what are we that stayed
Who will thread the daisy chains
And jump in puddles when it rains
What becomes of stars unwished upon
Where have the children gone?

You wouldn’t think I’d miss the noise
Or the glimpses of unfathomable games
No smell of pencils freshly sharpened
Classroom windows all are darkened
A million reasons why it’s happened
But why’d it happen here?

Where have all the children gone?
And what are we that stayed
Who will skim stones on the sea?
Who will climb the trees? Not me.
Who will learn the lessons we get wrong?
Where have the children gone?

I browse a while through all of those
Dusty files of tidy rows
Frames all with their date and class
The same reflection in the glass
I catch a glimpse of my old self
By which I mean my young self
I wonder
Where did we all go?

Where have all the children gone?
And what are we that stayed
Who will thread the daisy chains
And jump in puddles when it rains
What becomes of stars unwished upon
Where have the children gone?

credits

from The Skye & Lochalsh Community Album Project, released August 4, 2023
Written by Louis Barabbas

Lead vocals: Deirdre Graham
Drums: Kiran Cohen
Mandolin: MairidhAnne Mackenzie
Fiddle: Maili Mackenzie
Accordion: Calum Mackenzie
Guitar and bass: Louis Barabbas
Skye Windband conducted by Lynne Anstice Brown
Clarinets: Jacqui Ross, Andrew Martin, Alexis Oates, Rowan Purrett, Kirsty Shaw,, Sheila Ryding, Sara Hunter Davies, Tim Hunter Davies, Archie Hugh Ferguson, Gail Sherwood, Stephen Moran
Euphonium: Rosie McCord
Flutes: Megan Campbell, Sheena Amos, Meg Rosher, Satsuki Azuma, Eva MacCaskill, Claire Irons
Saxophones: Ghara Gonzalez-Kindelan, Tom Campbell, Mark Leah
Trombone: Sam Anstice Brown
Trumpets: Ian Laing, Iain Langlands, Iain Gilbraith, Ros James, Chris Watkiss
Tuba: Mike Norton

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about

Louis Barabbas image

Louis Barabbas Manchester, UK

Louis Barabbas is a writer, performer and firefighter, best known for caustic love songs and energetic stage shows.

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