The Setting
Ralph McTell Lyrics

I will never forget the walk to the station,
I'll never forget that walk to the station

Me with your suitcase being brotherly strong.
I carried your suitcase with a sense of protectiveness

And trying to make light of the whole situation,
I tried to make the situation seem not so bad

In mild conversation we moved through the throng,
We walked through the crowd while making small talk

And above all the roar of the town was the blue sky,
The blue sky was the loudest thing over the noise of the city

I could here the birds singing for the joy of the day
I could hear the birds singing happily

And there was no support from the city forthcoming,
The city didn't provide any support or comfort

No sympathy numbing your going away.
No comfort to ease the pain of your departure

It's hard to say goodbye.
Saying goodbye is difficult

And there was you with your bright eyes and best dress for travelling
You were dressed in your best clothes, looking lively and ready to go

And me in my work clothes, unshaven and plain,
I was in my usual work attire, not looking my best

Oh, I fully intended to put in the half day,
I had planned to work half the day

But my good intentions went with you on the train.
But those intentions disappeared once you left

And I never looked back as the train left the station,
I didn't turn around to watch the train leave

Crossed over the road and walked into the park,
I crossed the street and went into the park

And there in a bar an old man was singing,
An old man was singing in a nearby bar

And I sat there drinking until it got dark.
I sat in the bar drinking until it got dark outside

And outside the trees they grew starlings like apples,
The trees were full of starlings, hanging like apples

Their hustle and chatter not dampened by the rain.
The rain didn't quiet the sound of their movement and conversation

That washed down the pavements and into the gutters,
The rain flowed over the sidewalks and into the drains

That soaked through my clothes as I set out again,
The rain soaked through my clothes as I started walking again

And above me the stars were all hidden by rain clouds,
The rain clouds covered the stars so I couldn't see them

The song of the old man still locked in my brain,
I couldn't stop thinking about the old man's song

And all emigration, the curse of a nation
Emigration is seen as a curse on the nation

The setting now fitting his sad sweet refrain.
The setting matched the old man's sad but sweet song