Words
and Music: Bill Scott
Bill Scott, folklorist, poet, and author of books for children, was born in Bundaberg, Australia in 1923. He worked at many trades, including cane cutter, steam engine driver, miner, and publisher before becoming a professional writer in 1974. (GB)
When I was a young man I
followed the gold
Down in a mineshaft all
muddy and cold
Deep in the dark with the
flickering light
And nary a nugget to
gladden me sight
Chorus
And it's way aye now I am old
The mornings were silver the sunsets were gold
When I was a young man I
followed the sea
Cold wet and shivering
often I'd be
Rocked in the rigging or
rolled down below
Or sweating me soul out
where the gulf traders go
Chorus
And it's way aye now I am old
The oceans were sapphires the beaches were gold
Now I'm an old man I sit
in the sun
Thinking and dreaming of
the things that I've done
Remembering laughter
forgetting the pain
And I'd go out and do it
all over again
Chorus
And it's way aye lift it along
What good is your life if it isn't a song
Old Man's Song is recorded on the album Harbors
of Home and is in the songbook Hey Rain!