Ralph McTell - The Setting lyrics

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