A piano/guitar ballad (extolling the virtues of high altitude...)... slipping into some sephulcral organ at the end (from Mary Davies)
piano
hill
mountain
Story behind the song
As well as being folky I had something of an altitude obsession on this CD… here’s the first of 3 tracks extolling the virtues of hills/mountains. Written at Ella in the Sri Lankan highlands – so much pleasanter than the humid lowlands. I scored a piano part which changes key as the song progresses but then got Mary Davies to improvise around this. She then added a sepulchral organ outro…
Lyrics
RAK 09 Magic in the Hills SL (Mary Davies piano/organ)
Intro (G D Em)2
G
There’s magic in the hills
D Em
From the first rays of the morning to the early evening chills
A Em A Em
High above the beach, high above the plains
A Bm G A
The air becomes more rarefied, your thoughts will do the same
Bm F#m
So when you need a way your equanimity to regain
G A D
It’s time to head for the hills
There’s magic in the heights
You can forget the blues and rise above the sleights
When you’re up there, be it misty be it clear
Evrything,s more vibrant, away with the dreer
Life’s impedimentia all seem to disappear
It’s time to head for the heights
D Bm
Get yourself some wings, and teach yourself to fly
F# A
Whatever tomorrow brings, you can look it in the eye
G A D
It’s time to head for the hills
Instrumental verse
Repeat chorus – then change key for last verse – to A
D
There’s magic to be found
A Bm
At the top but with your feet on solid ground
E Bm E Bm
Adjust your vision to take that birdseye view
E F#m D E
No indecision ‘bout what you have to do
F#m C#m
Life can be simple when you learn to ride the thrill
D E A
There’s magic in the hills
Outro (in A)
(A E F#m)n