Procol Harum Beyond the Pale
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These song words are printed in the Tour Book for Yumi Matsutoya's 'Back to the Beginning' 2012 tour, when the Japanese star collaborated with Procol Harum (see here). Yumi wanted Procol-type lyrics for a hit from much earlier in her career, and this is what Gary Brooker and Josh Phillips provided. These versions haven't been recorded, though they will be heard when the TV show of Procol in Japan is broadcast. Over twenty cameras on one night, about fifteen on the second ... it should be worth watching. Excerpt here

The Roaring Skies

When I was young I looked up to the sky
I saw a comet come flying by
and sailing out behind it
a stream on a river blue

Years later that comet was my life
A star that shone so bright
like moonlight on the ocean
and it was love – love at first sight

There were dreams and promise in the air
High hopes it would lead us somewhere
but looking through my eyes
all I see are roaring skies

Now the sky is just a tangled web
a curse above our heads
it turns daytime into twilight
still we have love – a love so bright

There's a light beyond the darkness
and a path is clear to see
I look out beyond the Jet Stream
and know our love will find a way

There were dreams and promise in the air
high hopes it would lead us somewhere
but looking through my eyes
all I see are roaring skies

There were dreams and promise in the air
high hopes it would take us somewhere
now all direction’s gone
because all I see and hear are roaring skies

---

Lonely Room (click for film)

 When I close my eyes
I see you there before me
just like you'd never gone away from me

I drift into dreams
wherever they may take me
you're forever there like you've always been

We travelled the world
with all its seven wonders
nothing is more wondrous than the love we share

But each time the dreams
are broken by the daylight
I am lying there – and I'm all alone

 Memories are full of gladness
to stay awake just gives me pain
heartache and sadness, it all seems the same
lying here in my lonely room.

When I close my eyes
I see you there before me
just like you'd never gone away from me

Then one day I woke
and you were there beside me
I left behind the nightmare
and that lonely room

Memories are full of gladness
now I'm awake and feel no pain
heartache or sadness, when I call your name
it's no longer my lonely room.
 

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