Stone on Stone

(Song lyric)

By Dave Goulder © Harbourtown Music

Now that autumn is returning
And the garden fires are burning
And the summer beasts are learning
How to cope with shorter days
There I labour all alone
Piling stone upon the stone
Feeling just a touch of sadness
As the summer slips away
As I roll the stone upon the stone

Working in the frosty weather
When the stones are glued together
Lifting divots, soil and heather
As I prise them off the ground
And little work is done
’Til the weak and wint’ry sun
Loosens off the icy grip and I can lay my hammer down
As I roll the stone upon the stone

The barometer is falling
And the forecast is appalling
And the working folk are crawling
Through the January storm
Gales eight to ten all day
Almost blow the stones away
And my brain is turned to porridge
By the time I head for home
As I roll the stone upon the stone

But the winter storms are ending
And the days are soon extending
And an early lark ascending
Has me looking round for spring
Stones taken from the land
Are warm under the hand
And my cup is running over
With the pleasure of the thing
As I roll the stone upon the stone

Soon the wall is moving over
Belts of willow herb and clover
And the weasel and the plover
Watch me slowly pass them by
And the air is full of wings
As a million stinging things
Set me yearning for October
In the middle of July
As I roll the stone upon the stone

Unlike other trades in song, the craft of dry stone walling has no steady rhythmic movement to stimulate the songmaker, therefore it would be unreasonable to expect one on the subject to have any bounce in it - so this is it!