Favorable Winds from Sailing Dreams by Muriel Anderson

It seemed that most of the way from Fire Island inlet to central Maine the wind was going in quite the wrong direction. When we were ready to head back, the wind switched direction! We sailed about the foggy islands for a while until a storm came through and Captain Bryan said, “Well, at least the wind is going in the right direction!” The waves were a bit high as we followed the storm, so I thought I’d write a song to the wind, beseeching it to go gently in the right direction. Here is a rare cameo with Cap’n Bryan himself singing along with me.

Tracklist

9.	Favorable Winds	5:29

Lyrics

Favorable winds accompany my journey
Won’t you smoothly ripple the sea
Like a touch I remember, sure and steady
Then I’ll soon home

Blow, won’t you be favorable winds

When we left Fire Island, come a rainy east wind
We were tacking our way ‘long the shore
A Montauk fisherman waved us in
And Block Island blew their horns

Mornings are golden ‘bove the splash of my oars
As I rowed back to our Grampian sloop
Though Cuttyhunk beckons with old shipwreck shores
And the Vineyard that Martha once grew

Favorable winds accompany my journey
Won’t you smoothly ripple the sea
Billow my sails, gentle and full
Then I’ll soon home

There have been blustery storms
And there have been days much too calm
Give me a steady wind on the beam
For the point of sail I’m on

Blow, won’t you be favorable winds

The swift Woods Hole current to Buzzards Bay
We shot through Cape Cod Canal
Wind against wave made white horses play
As seagulls plunged into the swell

Then came the crossing by day & by night,
Accompanied by dolphins & whales
Tired and glad to see Monhegan’s light,
But onward through Maine we would sail

Blow, won’t you be favorable winds

Between foggy islands we bided our time
‘Till the buoy whistle would moan
Alas, when the easterly finally arrived
‘Twas a gale that would bring us back home

The surf was raucous, the winds were whistling
Hour after hour at the helm
Many a wave splashed over the side
But we followed that storm just as well

Is my home on this Grampian sloop?
Is my home on the sea?
Is my home that cottage on shore?
Or will it soon heavenly be?
Blow, won’t you be favorable winds

Favorable winds accompany my journey
Forever at the nose may you linger no more
Won’t you be fair, my sails are ready
Then I’ll soon home
Like a touch I remember
Sure and steady
Then I’ll soon home

Credits

from Sailing Dreams, released April 5, 2024
Muriel with Cap’n Bryan Allen on vocals, Andrew Clark on harmony vocal, Muriel on Windjammer & DT guitars, Matt Nelson on cello, Beth Gottlieb on frame drum, Avirohd Sharma on tabla, Roy Wooten on wavedrum, Ariane Cap on bass

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