Have You Ever Been Before - Porongurup National Park

 

Kangaroo and Joey

I wrote the song, Have You Ever Been Before, as a tribute to The Porongurup National Park, home of Castle Rock and Granite Skywalk. Porongurup National Park is a beautiful part of the world in Mountain Country in The South West of Western Australia.

During my career years, I spent many a long weekend recuperating and resting my soul at Porongurup. Porongurup has always been my go to place for peace and tranquillity. In 1997 I was lucky to find my own piece of paradise, a small cottage, at the foothills of The Porongurup Range.

On Wansbrough Walk towards Nancy Peak

One day, while I was walking along the Wansbrough Walk trail, on my way to Nancy Peak, I found myself humming an original tune and it was there that I wrote the lyrics "Have you ever been before, where the mountains rest the soul and the trees grow tall. Let the silence soothe your mind, and you'll find there's no reason to count the time." From that moment the idea for my song, Have You Ever Been Before, was born.

To sing, Have You Ever Been Before, on the porch of my Porongurup home, for Play Music On The Porch Day, was a magical experience, I hope you enjoy this song.

Devil's Slide - Porongurup National Park

Have You Ever Been Before
 
One day in seventy eight I met a man
His name I don’t remember.
We were sat by a river
It was spring, late September.
He had the time to listen,
And his eyes they did glisten
And he took my hand and held it close and he said.
 
“Have you ever been before
Where the mountains rest the soul
And the trees grow tall?
Let the silence soothe your mind
And you’ll find there’s no reason
To count the time.”
 
There is little time to contemplate
The beauty of life at the end of each day.
I long to watch the world go by
And enjoy the sight of a bird at play.
I know instead of all this greed,
Food and shelter is all I need,
But it’s hard to change to a life I don’t understand.
 
Yes I think I hear the call
To where the mountains rest the soul
And the trees grow tall.
Let the silence soothe my mind
And I’ll find there’s no reason
To count the time.
 
When he stood up to leave
I saw his face was lined and weathered.
He picked up his walking stick
And reached for his old dog who was tethered.
He knew where he was going
He’d been that place before,
And he looked back o’ver his shoulder
And said once more.
 
“Have you ever been before
Where the mountains rest the soul
And the trees grow tall?
Let the silence soothe your mind
And you’ll find there’s no reason
To count the time.”
 
 
Copyright   Jane Laws   1996
Unauthorised copying, public performance, broadcasting, hiring or rental of this song prohibited.

Nancy Peak - Porongurup National Park

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Fremantle Harbour Bound

Fremantle Harbour Bound is one of my maritime folk songs, it is a story about being at sea, for a very long time, and finally sailing towards home.

However the song goes much deeper than that and reflects upon my own personal journey of finding my way to live on the shores of Fremantle. All of my adult life I have connected to Fremantle, to the history, to the culture, to the port, to the people. Although I have been a member of Fremantle Sailing Club since 1987, the different roads I have chosen have never led me to live in Fremantle.

Then the winter of 2022 came along and it was either "now or never" and my partner and I sold up and moved to Fremantle. The song, Fremantle Harbour Bound, came to me while I was musing with my guitar on a stormy afternoon while we were in the throes of moving.

Erik Kowarski, renowned Perth improvising fiddle player, recorded and produced my first album, Gypsy Traveller (released in 2000.) It was wonderful to team up with Erik again for the journey of recording Fremantle Harbour Bound. Erik's beautiful fiddle has added a haunting touch and nautical flavour throughout the song; thank you so much, Erik.

The Fremantle Harbour Bound video was filmed aboard my yacht, Ambience, in the waters around Fremantle. With only two of us onboard, we found the on-water filming a memorable challenge. Trying to look after Ambience, each other, other water users, and filming is a day we won't forget in a hurry.

Way back in 1996, when I wrote the song, Seaflight, (a tribute to Perth teenager, David Dicks, who was sailing solo and nonstop around the world), Fremantle Sailing Club life member, Gran Hickling, asked me if I could write a song about the sailing club. Gran would ask me every time I saw him, which was, at times, every week. I used to just smile and muse to myself, "what could I write in a song about our club." Then last year, when Fremantle Harbour Bound came along, as if out of nowhere, I thought to myself, this is the song that Gran always wanted me to write.

Fremantle Harbour Bound

I am Fremantle Harbour bound,
Around the sound, around the town.
A west bound wind will bring me home,
Away too long, I am harbour bound, Fremantle Town.

 

Will you forgive all that has gone before,
So I might live in peace upon your shore.
And in my mind I hear a distant call,
I'm harbour bound, Fremantle Town, Fremantle Town.

 

I am a mile away from nowhere now,
Do you hear me sigh? Do you hear me shout?
And do you hear me sing The Lord's Prayer out loud?
Away too long, I am harbour bound, Fremantle Town.

 

I am Fremantle Harbour bound,
Around the sound, around the town.
A west bound wind will bring me home,
Away too long, I am harbour bound, Fremantle Town.

 

Copyright   Jane Laws 2023
Unauthorised copying, public performance, broadcasting, hiring or rental of this song prohibited.

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