Now... in this faraway land   Strange... that the palms of my hands   Should be damp with expectancy   Spring... and the air's turning mild   City lights... and a glimpse of a child   Of the alleyway infantry   Friends... do they know what I mean   Rain... and the gathering green   Of an afternoon out-of-town   But Lord I had to go   My trail was laid too slow behind me   To face the call of fame   Or make a drunkard's name for me   Though now this better life   Has brought a different understanding   And through these endless days   Shall come a broader sympathy   And though I count the hours   To be alone's no injury...   My home... was a place by the sand   Cliffs... and a military band   Blew an air of normality.