Henry's Songbook

Chorus:
I would sing amber, I would sing gold
I would sing of my true love to have and to hold
And if there's a wee bird to show me the tune
I would sing the road homewards
By the light of the traveller's moon

We sat by the window and waited awhile
For the moon of the travellers to rise
And though the shadow of parting lay over her smile
The love light shone deep in her eyes
She knew the heart of the traveller is torn
Whenever the time comes to part
For the road is the rose, and the road is the thorn
That springs from the traveller's heart

Now the road never questions and the road never lies
The road's neither woman nor wife
But the road knows the light in the traveller's eyes
That means he's a lover for life
She's a ribbon of grey through the gold of the cornfields
A ribbon of brown through the trees
By the light of the moon she's a ribbon of silver
That binds my true love to me

So if you should chance to be taking the air
When a travelling man passes by
You can see that he's bound for God only knows where
By the far distant look in his eye
Walk out beside him a mile of the way
Help him to carry his load
For he'll ne'er be at ease till the end of the day
When the moon rises over the road

[1995:] The nicest dream you can possibly have when you travel for a living is the dream of going home. (Brian McNeill, intro Eckernförde)

[1995:] Travelling was the theme of one of Iain and Brian's first collaborations, the Edinburgh Festival show 'One More Road To Go Down'. Traveller's Moon, a song which explores the bitter-sweet relationship most musicians have with the road, was the opening number. (Notes Iain MacKintosh & Brian McNeill, 'Stage By Stage')

[2000:] Stephen Foster's fine tune [Beautiful Dreamer] provides exactly the right setting for Brian's road song - what sweeter dream can there be for the professional traveller than that of coming home? On stage, Brian and Iain dedicate this - particularly the third verse - to the memory of a generation of friends who have now left us for the Big Lock-In In The Sky. Hamish, Alex, Danny, and Derrol; it's your round, boys ... (Notes Iain MacKintosh & Brian McNeill, 'Live and Kicking')

[2000:] [Beautiful Dreamer was] Foster's last song, published posthumously. (American Experience - Stephen Foster, http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/foster/sfeature/sf_poll.html)