On The Border Lyrics - Al Stewart

The fishing boats go out across the evening water 

Smuggling guns and arms across the Spanish border 

The wind whips up the waves so loud 

The ghost moon sails among the clouds 

Turns the rifles into silver on the border 

On my wall the colours of the maps are running 

From Africa the winds they talk of changes coming 

The torches flare up in the night 

The hand that sets the farms alight 

Has spread the word to those who're waiting on the border 

In the village where I grew up 

Nothing seems the same 

Still you never see the change from day to day 

And no-one notices the customs slip away 

Late last night the rain was knocking at my window 

I moved across the darkened room and in the lampglow 

I thought I saw down in the street 

The spirit of the century 

Telling us that we're all standing on the border 

In the islands where I grew up 

Nothing seems the same 

It's just the patterns that remain 

An empty shell 

But there's a strangeness in the air you feel too well 

The fishing boats go out across the evening water 

Smuggling guns and arms across the Spanish border 

The wind whips up the waves so loud 

The ghost moon sails among the clouds 

Turns the rifles into silver on the border 

On the border 

On the border 

On the border