They came for him one winter's night   Arrested, he was bound   They said there'd been a robbery   His pistol had been found      They marched him to the station house   He waited for the dawn   And as they led him to the dock   He knew that he'd been wrong      "You stand accused of robbery"   He heard the bailiff say   He knew without an alibi   Tomorrow's light would mourn his freedom      Over the hills and far away   For ten long years, he'll count the days   Over the mountains and the blue seas   A prisoner's life for him there'll be      He knew that it would cost him dear   But yet, he dare not say   Where he had been that fateful night   A secret it must stay      He had to fight back tears of rage   His heartbeat like a drum   For, with the wife of his best friend   He spent his final night of freedom      Over the hills and far away   He swears he will return one day   Far from the mountains and the blue seas   Back in her arms is where he'll be   Over the hills and far away      Over the hills and, over the hills and   Over the hills and far away      Each night within his prison cell   He looks out through the bars   He reads the letters that she wrote   One day he'll know the taste of freedom      Over the hills and far away   She prays he will return one day   As sure as the rivers reach the seas   Back in his arms he swears she'll be      Over the hills and far away   He swears he will return one day   Far from the mountains and the blue seas   Back in her arms is where he'll be      Over the hills and far away   She prays he will return one day   As sure as the rivers reach the seas   Back in his arms is where she'll be      Over the hills, over the hills and far away   Over the hills, over the hills and far away