Emily Flies (© 2008 M.L. Hammond)
Marie-Lynn Hammond: vocals
David Woodhead: guitars, keyboards, bass, percussion
Produced by Hammond/Woodhead; engineered by David Woodhead

Emily’s slim and dark haired
Emily’s eyes are blue
Emily’s going on fourteen
but she’s different from me and you

her limbs don’t really work right
she needs canes to help her walk
and she mostly squeals or mutters
she doesn’t really talk

CHORUS: Creature of the earth
but looking to the open skies
oh oh oh, Emily flies

Cody is a little bay Standardbred
he raced until he was six
then he went lame and somebody figured
he wasn’t worth the trouble to fix

Sal found Cody in a feedlot
where you buy a horse by weight
but he had a kind eye and Sal had a hunch
he was meant for a better fate

CHORUS: Creature of the earth
but looking to the open skies
Cody may be only walking,
but Emily flies

and Cody is the best, nothing fazes him
that’s what the volunteers at Sal’s all say
the kids can wriggle and squirm and shout
he seems to understand that its just their way

And when Emily’s lifted up into the saddle
she gets this look on her face
Sal thinks it might be joy
or at least some kind of grace

And she could swear as she leads them round
when she looks at Emily’s eyes
that though Cody may be only walking,
steadily, patiently walking,
Cody may be only walking,
but Emily flies

CHORUS: Creature of the earth
but looking to the open skies
oh oh oh, Emily flies

Emily flies, Emily flies
Cody may be only walking,
but Emily flies

Two Old White Horses (© 2007 M.L. Hammond/P. Aird)
Music: M. L. Hammond (SOCAN)
Lyrics: Paul Aird (SOCAN) & M. L. Hammond
Producer: Tom Leighton
Marie-Lynn Hammond: lead vocal, guitar
Nancy White: harmony vocals
Tom Leighton: keyboards, accordion, bouzouki
Tom Leighton and Chris Smith: sound engineers

Nellie had worked all her life in a mine
pulling the carts down in shaft number nine
day after day she leaned into her load
hauling the coal on a black iron road
never a pasture nor sky did she see
only darkness or headlights, and never let free
so many years later old Nellie they find
was still willing to work even though she’d gone blind

Winston had worked all his life in a town
pulling the breadwagons up hill and down
day after day he leaned into his load
hauling those carts on a cobblestone road
never a pasture nor brook did he see
only pavement and steep hills and never let free
So many years later the cobbles they blame
old Winston was stumbling because he’d gone lame

CHORUS: Two old white horses tied up by a gate
nervously sniffing the air
two old white horses awaiting their fate
in a place where the motto is “Buyer beware”
Oh buyer beware

Nellie and Winston came into the pen
while the auctioneer started his chanting again
bidders were few, only butchers by trade
The horses stood still, then the male turned and neighed
and the mare answered back with her head proud and high
and although I was never intending to buy
As the gavel descended I threw up my arm
And took Nellie and Winston back home to the farm

CHORUS

Now sometimes I’ll harness them up for the day
to haul a few logs or a few bales of hay
and Nellie’s so steady on any terrain
that Winston moves just like he’s sound once again
and although we pass mud holes and sharp jutting rock
he leads the way so she’s safe, trot or walk
Nellie helps him to stand and he helps her to see
They’re as perfectly matched as a good team can be

CHORUS

Two old white horses now amble and graze
in the warmth of the late summer sun
Two old white horses will live out their days
in a way that befits all the labour they’ve done
All the labour they’ve done

Paul Aird: photography
R. L. Hess: mastering