On the Border - Al Stewart

Oh, the hills on the border 'Bout this time of the year When the mists seem to gather In the valley of your fears And you walk through that valley As day turns to night Is there something in the shadow Or the failing of the light? I was walking home last evening When perhaps I should have ran From a darkening of shadows In the shape of a man It said, "Talk to me, stranger Or may I call you brother? Let us make our way together From this place to another" I don't carry any weapon I don't carry any staff But I'll carry half your burden 'Til your journey's cut in half Let me sharе of your burden The lifetimе you will carve And the gravestone that you carry Will be a burden halved He sat down by the roadside As the mists they gathered 'round Takes some cards from his pocket That he spreads upon the ground He said, "This card is a woman You will love but not possess And this card's a man you'll murder But you'll never confess" I don't carry any weapon I don't carry any staff But I'll carry half your burden 'Til your journey's cut in half Let me share of your burden This lifetime you will carve And the gravestone that you carry Will be a burden halved I said, "Why should I trust you? Or the cards that you have thrown? I don't know you from the Devil And this burden is my own" He said, "I have the gift of secrets From our Father, little brother Let us make our way together From this world to another" Oh, the hills on the border 'Bout this time of the year When the mists seem to gather In the valley of your fears And you walk through that valley Your coat around your ears As you walk to the borders From the valley of your fears As you walk to the borders From the valley of your fears As you walk to the borders From the valley of your fears

The fishing boats go out across the evening water Smuggling guns and arms across the Spanish border The wind whips up the waves so loud The ghost moon sails among the clouds Turns the rifles into silver on the border On my wall the colours of the maps are running From Africa the winds they talk of changes coming The torches flare up in the night The hand that sets the farms alight Has spread the word to those who're waiting on the border In the village where I grew up Nothing seems the same Still you never see the change from day to day And no-one notices the customs slip away Late last night the rain was knocking at my window I moved across the darkened room and in the lampglow I thought I saw down in the street The spirit of the century Telling us that we're all standing on the border In the islands where I grew up Nothing seems the same It's just the patterns that remain An empty shell But there's a strangeness in the air you feel too well The fishing boats go out across the evening water Smuggling guns and arms across the Spanish border The wind whips up the waves so loud The ghost moon sails among the clouds Turns the rifles into silver on the border On the border On the border On the border

Going down with a troubled mind You leave me waiting on the border line I'm thinking it's a waste of time Taking me for a ride You say that you're good for me Was a time when I'd let it be But now there's no reality Do you think that I' m blind? Get back to your own side of the highway You're straying across the line I know you're a heart breaking lover Isn't any other time to take a ride Get back in the long grass Get back to the street Go take another walk Don't bother me Good loving is hard to find You keep playing the same old rhyme Got the feeling that you're gonna be Travelling down the line You play in another key Go tell your friends that I set you free I know the way it used to be Watching you hitch a ride Get back to your own side of the highway You're straying across the line I know you're a heart breaking lover Isn't any other time to take a ride Get back in the long grass Get back to the street Go take another walk Don't bother me

You must be lost in a faraway land I searched forever your footprints in the sand I feel you need me, I have to answer That desperate call that I do not understand A burning bridge, a lonely highway Another dark night thinking alone What could've happened, am I just dreaming? It doesn't matter but there's one thing that I know If I could make it to the border If I could make it to the coast If I could make it to the border I'd be in the arms of the girl I love the most Du-du-du, du-du, duu-du-du-du, du-du-du Make it to the border So on and on, I keep on running To make the border before the night Just one more river, then I can make it Again, you'll be in my arms tonight If I could make it to the border If I could make it to the coast If I could make it to the border I'd be in the arms of the girl I love the most Du-du-du, du-du, duu-du-du-du, du-du-du Make it to the border Du-du-du, du-du, duu-du-du-du, du-du-du Make it to the border If I could make it to the border If I could make it to the coast If I could make it to the border I'd be in the arms of the girl I love the most Du-du-du, du-du, duu-du-du-du, du-du-du Make it to the border Du-du-du, du-du, duu-du-du-du, du-du-du Make it to the border Du-du-du, du-du, duu-du-du-du, du-du-du Make it to the border Du-du-du, du-du, duu-du-du-du, du-du-du Make it to the border

I wear my scars like diamonds on a bracelet They hurt like hell, but damn, it feels amazing I used to think that I was only good for heartbreak, yeah I had that playing in my head for way too long I said I didn't care, I did, and it got ugly But now I'm back to life, and I'm getting pretty strong Yeah, so I've been feeling good these days There's nothing getting in my way so I wear my scars like diamonds on a bracelet They hurt like hell, but they're the ones that made me I wear my scars and the stories that they're painting They hurt like hell, but damn, it feels amazing La, la-la, la, la La-la, la, la La-la, la, la I spent way too long regretting my mistakes now I had them ruining every day and every night I wanted to open my eyes, I didn't know how But now I'm on my feet, yeah And I'm back in the fight Yeah, so I've been feeling good these days There's nothing getting in my way so I wear my scars like diamonds on a bracelet They hurt like hell, but they're the ones that made me I wear my scars and the stories that they're painting They hurt like hell, but damn, it feels amazing La, la-la, la, la La-la, la, la La-la, la, la I wear my scars like diamonds on a bracelet They hurt like hell, but they're the ones that made me I wear my scars and the stories that they're painting They hurt like hell, but damn, it feels amazing Who wants to die without scars anyway? Anyway Who wants to die without scars anyway? Anyway I wear my scars like diamonds on a bracelet They hurt like hell, but damn, it feels amazing

I got this song in my head, I wanna sing to you But I keep stalling instead, I don't know what to do You make it hard to forget, I've got a lot to lose But I'm not giving up yet, the words are overdue I can't get you out of my mind I'm losing sleep tonight I wanna be that guy Stand up and tell you why I need you to be mine But you got me paralysed They tell me to be brave What if you walk away? I know the things I should say But I'm a little bit shy, shy Just a little bit shy, shy I would just grab your hand and pull you close to me When you're talking so fast, know I'm listening And when he don't call you back, maybe it's meant to be 'Cause I want you so bad, I'd give anything I can't get you out of my mind I'm losing sleep tonight Oh, God, why don't I try? I wanna be that guy Stand up and tell you why I need you to be mine But you got me paralysed They tell me to be brave What if you walk away? I know the things I should say But I'm a little bit shy, shy Just a little bit shy, shy Let me light it for ya Like a supernova Losing my composure So high Let's not waste the feeling Staring at the ceiling Wait, my heart is beating I think I'll be that guy Stand up and tell you why I need you to be mine But you got me paralysed They told me to be brave So don't you walk away I know the things I should say But I'm a little bit shy, shy Just a little bit shy, shy Just a little bit shy, shy Just a little bit shy

I can't bring myself to throw out your chapstick It still rolls around the glove box where you left it As stupid as it sounds, I still got it now 'Cause parts of me knows parts of you will always regret it If you don't leave me in your past I'll always see you as my future I can't love just half of you Just do what you gotta do Let me crash, let me burn It's a better kinda hurt When it's all been said and done Maybe then I'll give you up Now I'm begging you for mercy And I'm praying you'll desert me So promise me you're never coming back I would spend a hundred nights alone if I had to Maybe then I'd start to picture me without you 'Cause I can't escape the pain It's like I'm bleeding either way It's that first time that you left I'm going back to Oh, if you don't leave me in your past I'll always see you as my future I can't love just half of you Just do what you gotta do Let me crash, let me burn It's a better kinda hurt When it's all been said and done Maybe then I'll give you up Now I'm begging you for mercy And I'm praying you'll desert me So promise me you're never coming back Leave me in the aftermath, oh Leave me in the aftermath, oh You know I still love you We both know exactly what you're doing Give me just enough to keep me Coming back so there's no moving on, oh There's no moving on, oh Let me crash, let me burn It's a better kinda hurt When it's all been said and done Maybe then I'll give you up Now I'm begging you for mercy And I'm praying you'll desert me So promise me you're never coming back Leave me in the aftermath, oh Leave me in the aftermath, oh, oh Leave me in the aftermath, oh