Dark-haired Woman

1970
This was one of three song lyrics that Roger Dyer gave me. I had mentioned that I was providing the tunes to go with lyrics written for the rugby club pantomime production of Robin Hood having been cast as Alan A’dale with job of “link-man” to appear before each scene to outline the developments in the plot by means of song.

Roger and I were working in the same office. One morning he dropped a sheaf of papers on my desk and said “See what you can make of those.”

I regarded this song as being far too melodramatic. Then… along came a show called “Phantom of the Opera”!

Out upon the misty mountain walking on my own

Where the sky breaks like a fountain where the pine is grown

I heard a voice sing soft and sweetly heard it sing to me

Then I saw the dark-haired woman

Beckoning to me

Dark-haired woman

Y0ur eyes are burning

Dark-haired woman

My eyes are learning

In the time of kissing turning me

Into a man

High upon the misty mountain we were king and queen

Love was in the breath of morning in the dancing stream

And there I saw into forever saw the mystery

When I loved the dark-haired woman

With her loving me

Dark-haired woman

Eyes are crying

Dark-haired woman

Eyes are sighing

In the time of kissing – dying

What once was a man

Lost upon the misty mountain walking on my own

Where the sky breaks like a fountain where the world’s alone

Calling to the dark-haired woman knowing she had flown

Like a bird who seeks the sunlight

When the cold has grown

Dark-haired woman

Eyes are crying

Dark-haired woman

Eyes are sighing

In the time of kissing – dying

What once was a man

Out upon the empty mountain nothing but the mist

Where the sky is grey for certain long ago we kissed

Snow and ice are all around us everywhere is cold

Gone the wondrous dark-haired woman

I wait and grow old