The Setting

(album: Bridge Of Sighs - 1987)

I will never forget the walk to the station
Me with your suitcase being brotherly strong
And trying to make light of the whole situation
In mild conversation we moved through the throng

And above all the roar of the town was the blue sky
I could here the birds singing for the joy of the day
And there was no support from the city forthcoming
No sympathy numbing your going away
It's hard to say goodbye

And there was you with your bright eyes and best dress for travelling
And me in my work clothes, unshaven and plain
Oh, I fully intended to put in the half day
But my good intentions went with you on the train

And I never looked back as the train left the station
Crossed over the road and walked into the park
And there in a bar an old man was singing
And I sat there drinking until it got dark

And outside the trees they grew starlings like apples
Their hustle and chatter not dampened by the rain
That washed down the pavements and into the gutters
That soaked through my clothes as I set out again

And above me the stars were all hidden by rain clouds
The song of the old man still locked in my brain
And all emigration, the curse of a nation
The setting now fitting his sad sweet refrain