The Island lyrics - Aselin Debison

Over an ocean and over a sea
Beyond these great waters, oh what do I see?
I see the great mountains
Climb from the coastline
The hills of Cape Breton, this new home of mine
Oh they come from the countries all over the world
To hack at the forest, to plow the land down
Fishermen, farmers and sailors all come
To clear for the future this pioneer ground

[CHORUS]
We are an island, a rock in a stream
We are a people as proud as there's been
In soft summer breeze or in wild winter winds
The home of our hearts, Cape Breton

Over the rooftops and over the trees
Within these new townships, oh what do I see?
I see the black pitheads, the coal-wheels are turning
The smokestacks are belching and the blast furnace burning
Oh the sweat on the back is no joy to behold
In the heat of the steel plant or mining the coal
And the foreign-owned companies
Force us to fight
For our survival and for our rights

[CHORUS]

Over the highways and over the roads
Over the causeway, stories are told
They tell of the coming and the going away
The cities of America draw me away
Ah the companies come, the companies go
And the ways of the world we may never know
We'll follow the footsteps of those on their way
And we'll ask for the right to leave or to stay

[CHORUS]

The Gift lyrics - Aselin Debison

A poor orphan girl named Maria
Was walking to market one day
She stopped for to rest by the road side
Where a bird with a broken wing lay
A few moments passed till she saw it
For it's feathers were covered with sand
And soon clean and wrapped it was traveling
In the warmth of Maria's small hand
She happily gave her last peso
On a cage made of freshes and twine
She fed it loose corn from the market
Watched it grow stronger with time
Now the gift giving service was coming
And the church armed with tinsel and light
An' all of the town folk brought presents
To lay by the manger that night
There were diamonds, incents and perfumes
And packages fit for a king
But for one ragged bird in his small cage
Maria had nothing to bring
She waited till just before midnight
So no one would see her go in
And crying she knelt be the manger
For her gift was unworthy of him
Then a voice spoke to her through the darkness
Maria what brings you to me
If the bird in the cage is your offering
Open the door let me see
So she trembled she did as he asked her
An' out of the cage the bird flew
Soaring up into the rafters
On a wing that had healed good as new
An' just then the midnight bells rang out
And the little bird started to sing
A song that no words could recapture
For its beauty was fit for a king
Now Maria felt blessed just to listen
To the cascade of notes sweet and long
As her offering was lifted to heaven
By the very first nightingale's song

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