Prince Valiant by Air Loom

The country here is ugly, don’t say it’s not so
Slump in the gully, bush gone long ago
A land in transition, agony to view
Eight thousand acres and more like that too
The quarters were run down, Sinclair didn’t care
The beds smelt of mildew, paint blistered bare
Magazine pictures - Vermont in the snow
Were far from the scene outside my window

Good with the shears, he could’ve been top class
The way that he held them, the sheep would stay calm
Ned kept his distance, was friendly enough
Easy, no malice, obliging with a laugh
A Valiant Charger, irridescent green
His best companion, his trusty steed
The Harrisons called him“Prince Valiant” with a sneer
They thought it pretentious but they knew he could shear

One time he told me that he liked to drive
Windows wound right up to close out the night
Just him and the music, darkness outside
On he would go while the world slipped by
Didn’t like being pushed round, got kicked out of school
Cathro knew his father, said he was cruel
Sinclair was familiar with Harrison’s joke
“Go bite your bum” … Ned gently spoke

Instrumental verse

He said he was driving to visit his girl
We thought him the luckiest guy in the world
He put on his best clothes and out he would go
While all that we had was Vermont in the snow
One morning the Charger did not return
On Ypres Creek road he missed a sharp turn
Prince Valiant died in the valley below
That’s where we found him, me and Cathro

We sat and waited in the morning sun
I thought of Neddy driving alone
Going in circles but going nowhere
Listening to music, drinking his beer
Didn’t say much for our company
Sinclair, Harrison, Cathro and me
Clarity came with the bleakness of death
Ugly country breeds ugly people I guess

• Blues
• ballad
• country folk rock
• rhythm and blues
• Napier