Send the lumber to the mill, sing a song of Overhill! No lumber in this song, though, just a tale of hobbit worries and love. Enjoy!
About the song
Best sung to the tune of "Joe Hill", below in a rather marvellous version by Joan Baez, this was first performed during the Songburrow Strollers winter concert in Hobbiton January 25th 2015.
I must admit I liberally borrowed the main idea for the song from a Norwegian band: Someone urgently headed homewards to his loved one, but where the outcome might be a bit different from what the first verses lead yer to expect. I thought it could be fun to spin a slightly hobbity tale to it as well!
We had the notes for this song for years in the Strollers songbook, with the tentative title Overhill, but we hadn't made any lyrics to it. Simbo picked it as a potential song to play during the Strollers winter concert, so I thought I'd take a shot at some words. Once I got going, the lyrics more or less wrote themselves, but I spent some time tuning a few of the lines to give them the most impact. Finding the right wording for the last verse was the biggest challenge, so I tweaked it right up until the concert started. I hope yer like it!
Lyrics: Overhill
I walk the road to Overhill And winter walks with me It whispers cold and restive thoughts 'In Overhill you'll see' 'In Overhill you'll see'
A single thought upon me mind Of fates awaiting me Through frosted fields I urge meself 'In Overhill you'll see' 'In Overhill you'll see'
In Overhill me love awaits A lassie fair and free But what if she's not there alone? 'In Overhill you'll see' 'In Overhill you'll see'
She'd hold the other close and tight With kisses tenderly She'd promise love and joy tonight 'In Overhill you'll see' 'In Overhill you'll see'
I start to run as lights appear Her cottage beckons me My breath as cold as winter night 'In Overhill you'll see' 'In Overhill you'll see'
Her smile is warm, her belly large She made the wait for me Our child is ready to be born 'In Overhill you'll see' 'In Overhill you'll see'
Joe Hill
And here is Joan Baez performing Joe Hill at Woodstock in 1969.
[tvideo type="youtube" clip_id="PX7M9psH0rM"] Joan Baez - Joe Hill