Oh, The Mountains

A song by Roger Ilott©1986/2006 Restless Music

Where water falls on weeping rocks,
And trees are hazy in the water mist
And bush tracks meander endlessly,
I spent my holidays as a kid.

In a steam-powered train with the windows up,
Cinders in our eyes, we’d make plans non-stop,
We’d climb from the plains up the mountainside –
Two engines needed to get to the top.

Chorus:
Oh, the mountain air,
Oh, the mountains where I never can be blue.

With the first rays of winter light
Leap up to the sound of the early bird
In our woollens we’d wander far and wide –
A family together in a peaceful earth.

From Wentworth Falls down the National Pass,
From Orphan Rock to Leura Falls
Through the Jamieson and Megalong
We’d walk from morning till nightfall.

Some nights we’d walk in the bracing air
Arm in arm we’d sing out loud,
The stars at night were big and bright
As we tramped along the mountain road.

We’d collect the wood for the open fire,
Play scrabble, cards or Monopoly,
Then watch the fire as it died away.
And the mist rising over the trees

On the train going home the colours would change
From green and brown to a smoky grey.
I’d look back at the mountains blue -
In another year we’d be there again

Notes

From the albums:
“Birchgrove Quay” – PENNY DAVIES & ROGER ILOTT (Restless RM012, 1986)
and “Railway Tracks” – ROGER ILOTT (Restless RM049, 1997)

P.O. BOX 438, STANTHORPE, QLD., 4380, AUSTRALIA.
email: restless@gil.com.au
website: www.restlessmusic.com.au