Music lyrics - James Yorkston

James Yorkston - 'The Lang Toun' [Domino] Listen | Official site

A native of Fife, Yorkston was an integral early member of the Fence Collective whose reach across contemporary music continues to lengthen: King Creosote, The Aliens, KT Tunstall.

Introduction by James Yorkston

I wrote this whilst walking over the Edinburgh meadows one early morning just after the festival had finished and everyone had gone home. I didn’t really expect anyone to like it – songs about domestic violence don’t have a habit of tearing up the charts – and we were pretty haphazard with its recording. But, for some reason, it was the track that pricked up the Domino ears, and our debut single for them.

Lyrics: The Lang Toun

You’re lying face down in a ball

But my hands on your ears aren’t doing their job at all of quietening the fears

And have I gathered the strength in my teenage life

To pull an old, old man from his ugly wife


If I shout at his greying affections will he obey?

Or turn years of deception and turn them all back my way?

And the grandmother’s shouting she’s on the floor in the dark

She’s a fat lot of use and the dogs hide from his bark


And a taxi arrives and they leave for the schemes

With blood in her eye but that eye

Still on her dreams

And he tells you he loves you and I just stare at the floor

And you hold each other tight like never before


You’re lying face down in a ball

And I am just holding you, holding you tight

But I’m not doing my job at all

Giving you comfort tonight


And I tell you I love you but they’re just useless words

As we lie terrified of what we may overhear

And you don’t want to be hear anymore than me

But as we welcome the morning I know you can’t leave

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