Copyright Doc Pablo and Devon Cohn, Cambridge, winter 1996

[Capo up 3]

G      D     C ->     G
Winter time, northern lights,
C  ->      Am   C/G D
How'd they find me here?
G        D          C  ->   G
Spinning rhymes and holding tight,
   C   ->     Am  C/G D
As midnight's drawing near

  C                   G
  Life is a question, love is the answer,
  Em                         D ->
  Hope is the reason that we share
    G         D          C  -> G
  A song with friends by candlelight
         C  ->   Am    G  G/F# G
  On the longest night of the  year

Thinking back to summer's end,
when days were warm and long
Between the tracks, we'd gladly spend
the evening for a song

  Life is a dark road that lies ahead
  Friends light the way to make it clear
  And lead us on, around the bend
  On the longest night of the year

<bridge>
C                     G
We have been gathered by circumstances,
C                   D
Asking the question Why
C                    G
We can't expect that we'll get an answer,
Em                             D ->
But who's to say we shouldn't try?

And so each year, in wintertime,
With friends all gathered round
We ring in strains of Auld Lang Syn
As snow comes falling down

  Tales of the old ways, love for the taking,
  Songs for the younger ones to share:
  The old refrain begins again
  On the longest night of the year

  Songs of the old ways, tales in the making,
  Love for the younger ones to share:
  The song goes on without an end
  On the longest night of the year


---------------------------
With (experimental) descant:

Thinking back to summer's end
              When I think back to sum mer

When days were warm and long
     days so   warm and long - summer went on and on

Between the tracks, we'd       gladly      spend
                   Between the tracks we'd gladly

The evening for a song
    spend the evening on - love we could count upon

And so each year, in wintertime
                  Each year in winter time

With friends all gathered round
  As friends all gather   round - warm embers on the coals

We ring in strains of Auld Lang Syne
                   We sing of days gone by

As snow comes falling down
   to make a joyful sound - and talk of days of old
                          - draw new love/life from the old