Sow, Tend, Gather, Return

A Seed Library song
Words and music: Glasgow seed community, arr. Jane Lewis
This song emerged from a songwriting workshop which I facilitated together with Glasgow Seed Library in autumn 2024.

Intro chorus
Tune A
Sow, tend, gather, return (x4)
(round in 4 parts 2x)

Tune B
(after part 1 of the round has sung through 1x)
We are the seeds, listen, listen
We are learning
We are the seeds, listen, listen
We are thriving
We are the seeds, listen, listen
We are growing

Verses
1. How do we help all the pumpkins grow?
Sow, tend, gather, return
Feed the soil before we sow
Sow, tend, gather, return

2. How do we know when it is time to sow?
Sow, tend, gather, return
Blackthorn buds begin to show
Sow, tend, gather, return

3. How do we keep all the slugs at bay?
Sow, tend, gather, return
Invite the frogs and birds to play
Sow, tend, gather, return

Chorus
Gal-gael, Children’s Wood
Lamb-hill, gathering ground
Ally Park, People’s Plot,
Woodlands, foraged and found
(round in 4 parts 1x)

4. What do we do if the wind won’t blow?
Sow, tend, gather, return
Shake the corn till the pollen falls down
Sow, tend, gather, return

5. What do we do when the rain won’t fall?
Sow, tend, gather, return
Save from plants that withstand it all
Sow, tend, gather, return

6. How do we know if it’s harvest time?
Sow, tend, gather, return
Pods are dry or the fruits are ripe
Sow, tend, gather, return

Chorus
Gal-gael, Children’s Wood
Lamb-hill, gathering ground
Ally Park, People’s Plot,
Woodlands, foraged and found
(round in 4 parts 1x)

7. What do we do when don’t know how?
Sow, tend, gather, return
Share and learn together
Sow, tend, gather, return

6. What do we do when we don’t have land?
Sow, tend, gather, return
Reclaim the commons! Oh –
Sow, tend, gather, return

7. What do we do about corp’rate greed?
Sow, tend, gather, return
Disrupt, resist by saving seed!
Sow, tend, gather, return

Outro chorus
Tune A
Sow, tend, gather, return (x4)
(round in 4 parts 2x)

Tune B
We are the seeds, listen, listen
We are learning
We are the seeds, listen, listen
We are thriving
We are the seeds, listen, listen
We are growing

To be sung with seed-based percussion and vocal sounds of bees buzzing

Music score:
Sow, tend. gather, return_final
All parts:

Tune:

High:

Low:

Mid:

We are the seeds: