This beautiful folk-rock album is practically unknown. It was released in 1972. Providence was from Portland Oregon. They were discovered and promoted by Threshold Records – the Moody Blues record label. They only made this one album and disbanded.
I have not been able to find the lyrics to this album on the Internet. I’ve made a crack at transcribing them, but have not been able to get it all. I have posted the lyrics that I can determine below. Please, if you can hear some of the lyrics that I have trouble with, post the corrections or updates either here or on my YouTube video linked below.
The cover says CYVR all over it, because it is from the UBC student radio station CITR. It was called CYVR when they got this album. I was a DJ there while a student, and sometimes they would give away old albums they no longer played. I grabbed it without knowing what it was, and have loved it ever since.
15:50 Fantasy Fugue 18:57 Smile 22:20 Sketch Number Three 23:20 Neptunes Door 26:20 Island Of Light 29:50 Behold: A Solar Sonnet
Lyrics =====
To Light Your Journey
Sleepy eyes catch the sun o’er the mountain Sloping rays in a prism of morn Ever sense the dawn
Bathing night in the warmth of her starshine Omnipresence in golden appears Ever sense the dawn
Mountain
The sun is up my heart it seems to be sinking But life is change and change is what I’ve been thinking Though nature moves the trees and bends the twisting sands Mountain stands
The seasons turn I feel a change within me Like birds in spring I know my soul has been set free Though nature moves the trees and bends the twisting sands Mountain stands
Though nature moves the trees and bends the twisting sands Mountain stands
The sun is up my heart it seems to be sinking But life is change and change is what I’ve been thinking Though nature moves the trees and bends the twisting sands Mountain stands
Lady
Lady with a zither upon your knee Dreaming of your gentle man at sea Singing of ports in far off lands Wish on a star and be there with your man
Lady with a zither upon your knee Dreaming of your gentle man at sea Singing of ports in far off lands Wish on a star and be there with your man
Sketch Number Two
The Stream
Did you ever stop to wonder ’bout the stream upon its course Never goes strait so meandering To the ocean on its course Left this morning without mention like the stream meandering free Wind is blowing through the green trees Like a people dizzy free
Did you ever stop to wonder ’bout the stream upon its course Never goes strait so meandering To the ocean on its course
This dream The stream
Did you ever stop to wonder…
If we were wise
How can we paint a picture of the sky when we can’t see through the trees Shall we wait ’til leaves of autumn fall with the breath of winter’s breeze Or shall we take a woodsman’s axe and bring them to their knees Or shall we just forget the sky and paint the fading leaves
If we were wise, we’d climb the tree Although our paints may spill For though our paints are priceless we We could send the sky a bill
How on earth can we ever sing a love song when the feeling’s just not there How can we tell the world of our love if we don’t really care Shall we sing lifeless empty words of feelings never shared Or shall we sing a song of hate and pray our souls are spared
If we were wise we’d feel the love so deep within us all We’d hear the song the angels sing and heed its wondrous call
If we were wise we’d feel the love So deep within us all We’d hear the song the angels sing And hear its wondrous call
Fantasy Fugue
If you’re going where I’m going there be no need to say good-bye Godspeed your ship is sailing Destination fly destination fly To your destination fly
If you’re thinking what I’m thinking there be no need to wonder why Godspeed our ship is sailing To the destination fly destination fly To our destination fly
If you’re thinking what I’m thinking there be no need to say good-bye Godspeed our ship is sailing The destination fly destination fly To our destination fly
Smile
Look at what a tree is Happy hands to knead his flowing, blowing breezes Smile smile
Our harmonic laughter Glowing showing after Noon rain’s a pitter patter Smile smile
Smile rainbows of change Shower our melodies With multicoloured rain may be the same Maybe a measure more Will help us to explain
Smile when Maybe the same .. will help us to explain
Smile Smile
Look at all the trees happy as the Smile smile .. Smile smile Smile when there’s a change Maybe the same maybe the pleasure .. will help us to explain
Sketch Number Three
Neptunes Door
Will whisper wonder Come inside this moment I can hear the oceans turning From atop this mountain I can hear the awkward churning For the sea Some folks sit and sing and sadly watch Sing a blue song as a Hide out in a cave down in a rock pile by the shore Barely gazing out to catch a glimpse of Neptune’s door To the sea To the sea … And build a pool of love In the sea In the sea
Island of Light
Rejoice with us for we are all together All alone as ancient as the sea Time has come now we’ve been joined forever To strive alone until we find the sea The highway of life to the island of light Ahhh We The island of light we still must attain Ahhh We .. by time be patient Bridge will carry us all there the winding rivers to the ocean Waves of ripples of despair n the highway of life to the island of love Ahhh We would … The island of light we still must attain Ahhh
I bought this book back in the mid-70s at a rummage sale for 10¢. It was written by a bunch of stoned hippies who lived in Kitsilano Vancouver, the traditional home of stoned hippies back then. They seem to have put a lot of work into it. 4000 copies were printed. (I should add that I was about 10 years too young to be a stoned hippy at that time. That came later…)
I found it fascinating in a weird way, and it’s been kicking around with me since then. I finally scanned the whole thing and made a pdf.
My family and I (Casper, Elizabeth, Randall and Garret Golhof) spent summer vacations every year in Okanagan Falls from the early ’60s to mid ’70s. We stayed at the Holiday Park Resort (which is still partly there) which was run by my aunt and uncle Anne and Bill O’Reilly.
Here is a Google Maps image with my comments of what used to be there in the 1970’s when I was familiar with the place. Some things have changed.
In case the captions are too small here they are in clockwise order: – Great big wooden breakwater – I don’t remember what was here – Was this here? – Holiday Park Resort’s great big campground – Tastee-Freeze – I played pong here – Store was called Lucky Dollar I think – Big empty field still there ! – Gem store that sold polished rocks – Original motel – my favourite was unit 6 – Neighbour hasn’t changed a bit – Motel called Blue-something I think
The Tastee-Freeze may actually have been on the block to the north – anyone remember?
Randall Golhof 
