Leaving the Land

Eric Bogle



It's time to go now, Jenny, no need to close the door
What if the dust gets in the house, it doesn't matter any more
You and the dust have been at war for far too many years
Now the war is over, Jenny dear


CHORUS:
Leaving the land, leaving the land
Leaving all I've ever been and all the things I am
Leaving the land


Remember when I brought you here those long bright years ago
For all that time you've been my heart and this land has been my soul
The long bright days are over now but still the heart beats on
But Jenny dear, the soul is gone

And all I see around me sings to me of the past
Four generations loved this land, never thought I'd be the last
All that toiling all that dreaming, birth and death and toil and pain
it was all for nothing, all in vain

It's time to go now, Jenny, drive quickly down the track
We'll never see what lies ahead if we keep on looking back
Behind is just an empty house, old memories and ghosts
And our small dreams, gathering dust


A classic from Eric Bogle.

The illustration to this post is Red Landscape by Russell Drysdale