dave goulder – the settle & carlisle lyrics
the settle carlisle railway was built into the land
more viaducts and tunnels than the lines upon your hand
she cuts across the pennines of a water roccaneer
70 miles of monument to the men who put her there
well i’d like to sit a while
by the settle and carlisle
and delve among the memories at evening
you can feel the ghosts of engineers who first surveyed the line
who conjure up a jubilee or lumbering number 9
or maybe find the water troughs on a garsdale afternoon
and listen to them filling when the waverly is gone
but i’d like to sit a while
by the settle and carlisle
and delve among the memories at evening
cascades of falling waterdown
the sides of pen-y-ghent
and at the foot of ingleborough, a solitary tent
the bridges over arten gill and hetton bet-y-moss
and silhouettes of steamers as they fade into the past
but i’d like to sit a while
by the settle and carlisle
and delve among the memories at evening
when snow is blown around the fells, and cuttings disappear
tunnels fill with icicles, the line is never clear
but weather is a fickle thing, and snow will turn to rain
and the land slides all too easily, the digging starts again
but i’d like to sit a while
by the settle and carlisle
and delve among the memories at evening
when engine-spotters gather here, on summer sat-rdays
jossling with the travellers, who go their different ways
the polished br-ss and uniforms of settle’s age of gold
but memories of better times are difficult to hold
but i’d like to sit a while
by the settle and carlisle
and delve among the memories at evening
well an engine’s on the turntable, the crew are climbing down
dreams become reality as they start to turn around
as the men turn into shadows, and the cinders into gr-ss
and the engine’s still revolving as it fades into the past
but i’d like to sit a while
by the settle and carlisle
and delve among the memories at evening
Random Lyrics