The Ballad of Holland Island House
(lyrics copyright © by Lynn Tomlinson,
performance by Ann & Elizabeth)

I stand alone in the Chesapeake Bay
Against a grey horizon
But house that's not a shelter is not a home
And the seas they are a risin'.
The seas they are a risin'.

Oh I was once a tall strong oak
In my branches many did slumber
Till I was felled by the stroke of an ax
And sawn into shingle and timber,
Sawn into shingle and timber.

They carried me here to this island
And built me with shutters and gables,
For the fisherman wanted to shelter his kin,
He believed I'd be sturdy and stable,
Believed I'd be sturdy and stable.

For many a year I was part of this town
A place they could eat, sleep, and play,
And life went on inside my walls
And they thrived on the bounty of the bay,
They thrived on the bounty of the bay.

I sheltered the family through many a storm
And I watched as they worked on the water,
And though I was worn, they cared for me dearly
I was home for their sons and daughters,
I was home for their sons and daughters,

In the mind of a man, two hundred years
Stands the test of time
But in truth it is only the blink of the eye,
For the earth, just a blink of the eye.

And an island is only shifting sands
And wind, tides, and storms never cease
And rather than losing their homes in the bay
Some took them down piece by piece,
Some took them down piece by piece.

I watched as the villagers sailed away
Fearing the rise of the waves
Leaving me here as the land disappeared
And I watched o'er the islanders' grave
I watched o'er the islanders' graves.

And now that I've come to the end of my days
In the distance a gathering squall,
The migrating birds find my attic a home
And they roost in the shelter of my walls,
They roost in the shelter of my walls.

Lost house, lost home, lost island
Disappearing on the horizon,
And a house that is shelter is always a home,
And the seas they are a-risin',
The seas they are a-risin'...