The Hills Of Strathblane

words and tune by Sheila Hall

When the hills of Strathblane are wrapped up in a blanket of night
And the towering Cascades stand proud at the start of their day
Although we're divided by time, by land and by sea,
When I close my eyes, you are closer than ever to me

When the light of the day has moved westwards and dropped from the sky
And I'm lying alone in the darkness and quiet of the night
I know that my moon is the very same moon that you'll see,
And when I close my eyes, you seem closer than ever to me

As the minutes pass by and turn into the months of the year,
And our distance apart is a pain that we both have to share,
I look to the future and hope that some day it might be,
When I open my eyes, you'll be closer than ever to me.

When the hills of Strathblane are wrapped up in a blanket of night
And the towering Cascades stand proud at the start of their day
Although we're divided by time, by land and by sea,
When I close my eyes, you are closer than ever to me

Words:
Cascades: the Cascade Mountains in Oregon
Strathblane: town at the foot of the Campsie Hills near Stirling

Sheila came as a guest to Sangschule, and told us this song “was written for a lovely man I met when I was over in the States for a music trip. He lived in Oregon (close to the Cascade Mountains) and I lived in Strathblane. I think we both knew from the start that our paths were only going to collide for a short time but I guess I always hoped circumstances might change…not to be…so far…”

Another of Sheila’s songs, “The People Who Live In The East” appears on the New Makars’ CD Between the Tay and the Forth: new songs celebrating Fife. The CD notes say: “Born and brought up on the East Coast, Sheila has strong Fife connections with generations of her family hailing from Dunfermline.”