The Wexford Carol - Alison Krauss

Good people all, this Christmas-time, Consider well and bear in mind What our good God for us has done, In sending His beloved Son. With Mary holy we should pray To God with love this Christmas Day: In Bethlehem upon that morn There was a blessed Messiah born. Near Bethlehem did shepherds keep Their flocks of lambs and feeding sheep; To whom God's angels did appear, Which put the shepherds in great fear. "Prepare and go," the angels said, "To Bethlehem, be not afraid; For there you'll find, this happy morn, A princely Babe, sweet Jesus born." With thankful heart and joyful mind, The shepherds went the Babe to find, And as God's angel had foretold, They did our Saviour Christ behold. Within a manger He was laid, And by his side the Virgin Maid, As long foretold, there was a blessed Messiah born

I stood on faith and the corner of ambition I came here to sink or swim And to show them all that they were wrong And though I never thought I'd make it this far So the curtains are down For the moment I'm someone There were those in the wings who waited, who came this way Now they're gone But there's always someone at home who never forgets who you are And when I'm down and I'm growing old I won't be along no railroad track I won't be bound to a life out in the cold It's been a steady pace to keep my steps between these cracks on Broadway And my stride in rhythm to the beat of home, sweet home When I'm down and I'm growing old I won't be along no railroad track I won't be bound to a life out in the cold It's been a steady pace to keep my steps between these cracks on Broadway And my stride in rhythm to the beat of home, sweet home Can't go on, I'm on the top of my better years I'm going home, it's too lonesome on the bottom rung here It's been a steady pace to keep my steps between these cracks on Broadway And my stride in rhythm to the beat of home, sweet home

Where have you been My long lost friend It's good to see you again Come and sit for a while I've missed your smile Today the past is goodbye Time can't erase A lover's embrace Can't you hear it calling A new day dawning You were longing to find Love's taken you far Away from my heart And I've been here all along Have your eyes failed to find What took you from mine A vision that's faded through time But you sail away Far on a summer's day But you heard it calling A new day dawning You were longing to find There is a way To make you stay Darling don't turn away Don't doubt your heart And keep us apart I'm right where you are Stay There is a way To make you stay Darling don't turn away Don't doubt your heart And keep us apart I'm right where you are Stay

Yesterday the odds were stacked in favor of my expectations Lying above the rest, never falling from the nest Tuesday came and went and now I'm in a little situation Maybe it's for the best, I can live alone I guess Maybe I can stand alone Maybe I'm strong as stone Even though the bird has flown Maybe he'll fly on home Forgive me if I'm keeping you apart from better conversation I'm numb from all my doubt, trying to sort the whole thing out Tell me that I'm smart enough to deal with all the information Spinning inside my head, every word he ever said Maybe I can stand alone Maybe I'm strong as stone Even though the bird has flown Maybe he'll fly on home (Repeat chorus)

We lease 20 acres And one Ginny mule From the Alabama Trust For half of the cotton and a third of the corn Get a hand full of dust We cannot have all things to please us No matter how we try Until we've all gone to Jesus We can only wonder why I had a daughter Called her Annabelle She's the apple of my eye Tried to give her something like I never had Didn't want to ever hear her cry We cannot have all things to please us No matter how we try Until we've all gone to Jesus We can only wonder why When I'm dead and buried I'll take a hard life of tears From every day I've ever known Anna's in the churchyard She got no life at all She only got these words on a stone We cannot have all things to please us No matter how we try Until we've all gone to Jesus We can only wonder why

Love, it's time to leave, I'm gone, no in-between Face the facts, it's do or die, I'll be back so don't you cry, soldier I'm gonna ride this train, no time to change I made a vow to keep you safe, I'll take that promise to the grave, soldier Hey, hey, hey, I'll be coming home to you You're the burning fire that my heart is beating to You're like red, white, blue, I'd do it all for you I'd fight a war and win it, you make me bulletproof I'll be your soldier Dark days ahead, skies tainted red All the time I'm counting down until the wind comes back around, soldier Words keep me strong, protect me from the storm When I'm down I'll pray for grace, 'til the day I see your face, soldier Hey, hey, hey, I'll be coming home to you You're the burning fire that my heart is beating to You're like red, white, blue, I'd do it all for you I'd fight a war and win it, you make me bulletproof I'll be your soldier I'll be your soldier Hey, hey, hey, I'll be coming home to you You're the burning fire that my heart is beating to You're like red, white, blue, I'd do it all for you I'd fight a war and win it, you make me bulletproof Hey, hey, hey, I'm coming home to you You're the burning fire that my heart is beating to You're like red, white, blue, I'd do it all for you I'd fight a war and win it, you make me bulletproof I'll be your soldier I'll be your soldier I'll be your soldier I'd fight a war and win it; you make me bulletproof I'll be your soldier I'll be coming home for you Yeah, I'm coming home for you I'll be your soldier