(©Shirley Starke 1991)
Where are the days when the world was so free,
Where have they gone, O where have they gone,
When one could wander eternally,
Where have they gone, O will they live on?
Where are the lands where the sun used to shine,
Where have they gone, O where have they gone,
Pears in the orchard and grapes on the vine,
Where have they gone, O will they live on?
Where are the men who kept those lands free,
Where have they gone, O where have they gone,
Those who defended so valiantly,
Where have they gone, O will they live on?
Where are the halls where the men used to dine,
Where have they gone, O where have they gone,
Where are the ale and the mead and the wine,
Where have they gone, O will they live on?
Where are the songs that they sang in the halls,
Where have they gone, O where have they gone,
O, could we have forgotten them all?
Where have they gone, O will they live on?
Comments
Artist Comment: "Song for the White Rider was written in 1968, after I'd read The Lord of the Rings for the first time. The style is merely my own; I did not attempt to imitate the inimitable. It is neither more nor less than a first reaction, sometimes accurately reflecting what I read, sometimes not, but expressing my wonder at the beginnings of an understanding that would grow for a lifetime."