October Song

I'll sing you this October song There's no song before it The words and tune are none of my own For my joys and sorrows bore it Beside the sea the brambly briars In the still of evening Birds fly out behind the sun And with them I'll be leaving The fallen leaves that jewel the ground They know the art of dying And leave with joy their glad gold hearts In scarlet shadows lying When hunger calls my footsteps home The morning follows after L swim the seas within my mind And the pine trees laugh green laughter L used to search for happiness L used to follow pleasure But l found a door behind my mind And that's the greatest treasure For rulers like to lay down laws And rebels like to break them And the poor priests like to walk in chains L met a man whose name was time He said I must be going But just how long ago that was L have no way of knowing Sometimes l want to murder time Sometimes when my heart's aching But mostly l just stroll along The path that he is taking I'll sing you this October Song There is no song before it The words and tune are none of my own For my joys and sorrows bore it Beside the sea the brambly briars In the cool of evening The birds fly out behind the sun And with them I'll be leaving --- October Song - Bert Jansch