Jethro Tull - Mountain Men Lyrics






The poacher and his daughter
throw soft shadows on the water in the night.
A thin moon slips behind them
as they pull the net with no betraying light.
And later on the coast road, I meet them
and the old man winks a smile.
And who am I to fast deny the right
to take a fish once in a while?
I walk with them, they wish me luck
when I ship out on the Sunday from the kyle.
And from the church I hear them singing
as the ship moves sadly from the pier.
Oh, poacher's daughter, Sunday best,
two hundred brave souls share the farewell tear.

There's a house on the hillside, where the drifting sands are born.
Lay down and let the slow tide wash me
back to the land where I came from.
Where the mountain men are kings
and the sound of the piper counts for everything.

Did my tour, did my duty. I did all they asked of me.
Died in the trenches and at Alamein
...died in the Falklands on T.V.
Going back to the mountain kings
where the sound of the piper counts for everything.

Long generations from the Isles
sent to tread the foreign miles
where the spiral ages meet.
Felt naked dust beneath their feet.
Future sun called winds to blow
and the past and present hard-eyed crow
flew hunting high and circling low over blackened plains of Eden.

There's a child and a woman praying for an end to the mystery.
Hoping for a word in a letter
fair wind-blown from across the sea
to where the mountain men are kings
and the sound of the piper counts for eveything.

There's a house on the hillside, where the drifting sands are born.
Lay down and let the slow tide wash me
back to the land where I came from.
Where the mountain men are kings
and the sound of the piper counts for everything.
Where the real mountain men are kings
and the sound of the piper counts for everything.

Feel the naked dust beneath my toes
while the future sun calls winds to blow
and the past and present black-eyed crow
flies hunting high and circling low
between dream mountains of our Eden.





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Jethro Tull Mountain Men Comments
  1. f.... a....

    This is way better than
    anything that Metallica
    could have done in its
    lifetime. Sorry for them.

  2. W.... W....

    It's been a while since I've heard this, but I remember thinking this when I first heard this song: The cord progression starting at the 2:53 mark, and the way Ian sings it, gives this song a very un-Tull like pop rockish sound and feel. For the most part I like it, but it still has something just (not) right of Tull about it.

    W.... W....

    Not listened to much Tull, I take it. Try the A album

    W.... W....

    @Chris Tulloch : You take wrong. I actually quite like the "A" album. And yes, I saw that tour, and have the "Slipstream" dvd also. IMO, the "A" album, though quite different at the time, doesn't sound pop at all. I stopped going to shows about two tours after "Roots to Branches". It was embarrassing to watch Ian struggle to sing so much. The band (at that time) shares that opinion.

  3. C.... M....

    Ian Anderson shouldn't get all the credit, just listen to Sir Martin Lancelot Barre on the guitar dueling with Ian's vocals, pure chemistry

    C.... M....

    Ian needed a Martin Barre to succeed, lets not kid ourselves. Martin wrote a lot of unaccredited music. He is now getting his dues with his band, while Ian should give it away.

  4. K.... W....

    Think i owned almost all of JT's albums... but this was among my favorites. LOVE the transition (2 min) on this song... pure, classic Tull... to that refrain hook: "where the Mountain Men are Kings - and the Sound of The Piper counts for every-thing!!!".

  5. d.... w....

    Who else thinks this is an astoundingly beautiful song?? The flute in the chorus is transcendental when combined with the words ''mountain men are kings''.

    d.... w....

    douglas williams Amazing you bet my friend! Beautiful!

    d.... w....

    The entire lyrics man, a journey transcending time about a people crushed, abused and exploited, made into soldiery for an evil empire selling "democracy" whilst enslaving the majority of its own population, selling them out as cattle whilst condemning them as backwards hillbillies - really makes you want to just think of a house on the hillside where the drifting sands that make up time are born, just lay down on a beach in Normandy and let the slow tide wash you back there, since when you are dead at least the pointlessness of war won't involve you

    d.... w....

    douglas williams I dunno, Budapest, dancer, and farm are my favorites on this album. There’s something missing ... the instruments -especially drums- don’t jell so well... good song though, beautiful flute

  6. B.... G....

    I am just discovering this record and am totally amazed. I had no idea 80s Tull was this good.

    B.... G....

    Check out the song's MOTOR EYES , OVERHANG , KELPIE, SATURATION , all from his anniversary box set , if you like this you'll definitely like them 👌

    B.... G....

    Where and how did I lose track of them...
    I missed so much.

    B.... G....

    Wreckof theHesperas when people think of Tull they think Aqualung , Teacher , etc , I'm 54 and I've discovered so many of their hidden gems throughout the years, They are without a doubt the best prog rock band ever , you'll discover that for yourself , warning it may be habit forming

    B.... G....

    Chris Manzi Oh yes, def habit forming, again! Good habit, tho! Clumbing unto the Way Back machine now,... I was early on totally, completely bonkers gaga into Tull, late 60s early 70s, high school days etc, collected albums (remember those? lol!) But then life kicked in I guess, got complicated and distractions were many, seems to have deprived me of much of Tull's stuff from then on.... last I was conscious of them (I think?!) were the TAAB- PP times, maybe caught a couple high-radio-play things? Catching up now, which has been amazing, at times sad, huge sense of loss- overwhelming, I actually had tickets to a show in Boston, mids 70s I think, myGOD! what a show that would have been!! But I got SICK!! I know I had to he pretty sick to miss that, and my two tickets went to my brother and my best friend. Insanely, it was right about then ehete "life got real" and I never, NEVER(😢😫)!! got to a Tull concert!! That has been the greatest loss of all, still beating myself about that one. But there's still time for exploring the music I missed, and I'm sooo grateful for whatever serendipitous nudge (or shove?!) put them back in front of me.
    Wow, ranting now...Sorry this got pretty yakkityblabbity, but helped to unload. Thanks much

    B.... G....

    Dont forget that they won the grammy with this

  7. d.... h....

    metallica doesn't hold a candle. i was tickled pink that tull finally got the recognition that they deserved.

  8. t.... ....

    The poacher and his daughter
    throw soft shadows on the water in the night.
    A thin moon slips behind them
    as they pull the net with no betraying light.
    And later on the coast road, I meet them
    and the old man winks a smile.
    And who am I to fast deny the right
    to take a fish once in a while?
    I walk with them, they wish me luck
    when I ship out on the Sunday from the kyle.
    And from the church I hear them singing
    as the ship moves sadly from the pier.
    Oh, poacher's daughter, Sunday best,
    two hundred brave souls share the farewell tear.

    There's a house on the hillside, where the drifting sands are born.
    Lay down and let the slow tide wash me
    back to the land where I came from.
    Where the mountain men are kings
    and the sound of the piper counts for everything.

    Did my tour, did my duty. I did all they asked of me.
    Died in the trenches and at Alamein
    ...died in the Falklands on T.V.
    Going back to the mountain kings
    where the sound of the piper counts for everything.

    Long generations from the Isles
    sent to tread the foreign miles
    where the spiral ages meet.
    Felt naked dust beneath their feet.
    Future sun called winds to blow
    and the past and present hard-eyed crow
    flew hunting high and circling low over blackened plains of Eden.

    There's a child and a woman praying for an end to the mystery.
    Hoping for a word in a letter
    fair wind-blown from across the sea
    to where the mountain men are kings
    and the sound of the piper counts for eveything.

    There's a house on the hillside, where the drifting sands are born.
    Lay down and let the slow tide wash me
    back to the land where I came from.
    Where the mountain men are kings
    and the sound of the piper counts for everything.
    Where the real mountain men are kings
    and the sound of the piper counts for everything.

    Feel the naked dust beneath my toes
    while the future sun calls winds to blow
    and the past and present black-eyed crow
    flies hunting high and circling low
    between dream mountains of our Eden.

    t.... ....

    Wonderful lyrics: a song in another Universe versus 99% of pop/rock. Ian: poetic genius.

    t.... ....

    Thankyou sang along for the first time EVER without my made up lyrics 😂

  9. T.... M....

    As good as it gets.

  10. J.... M....

    a work of art. excellent

  11. u.... ....

    That whole transition period around the two-minute mark? Just imagining the buzz rolls Barrie Barlow would have been laying down on his snare if HE was still with Tull during this recording. (sigh)

    u.... ....

    I always think about that in that particular moment.

    u.... ....

    Barrymore is sorely missed in JT , my opinion one of the best ever

  12. P.... S....

    Some real drummers and keyboard players sorely missed here...

    P.... S....

    The great Doane Perry is drumming on this track. No programmed drums this time. Thank God

  13. L.... S....

    poor Metallica

    L.... S....

    They are just babies in a crib ...

    L.... S....

    Jethro Tull one of the first progressive rock bands and definitely the best

  14. S.... Z....

    Great album and Grammy worthy.  Just not in the "Heavy Metal" category.  Metallica deserved that and everyone knows it.

    S.... Z....

    ray brettman - Excellent analysis Ray. I’m glad you mentioned FZ and the Dead too. My 3 favorite bands/musicians! Tull, Mothers, Dead.

    Combining all 3 together I’ve seen 150 concerts. The Dead the most but about even w Frank (20) and JT/Ian-Martin (19).

    But my first musical true love is Jethro Tull. My older brother bought me Aqualung for Christmas in 1972 when I was 14. The perfect day to become a Tull head. As only a JT fan would understand. ( I don’t count the Beatles as they were pushed on everyone growing up in the 60s).

    P.S. hey Santa, pass us that bottle will ya! 😇

    S.... Z....

    They sold out fast though where Jethro Tull never did, whether Tull sold a few or many they always packed big crowds they didn't have to sell out to do it

    S.... Z....

    Tom Mittemeyer true and who cares if Tull isn't in the R&R hall of shame, they just inducted Deep Purple 2 years ago when they should of been in there much sooner along with JT

    S.... Z....

    Tom Mittemeyer classic Deep Purple & ELP added to that and you made a friend

    S.... Z....

    Star Lord yes, he went back to his agricultural roots.

  15. D.... T....

    no one is like Jethro Tull ..period .

    D.... T....

    Duane Tackett and that my friend speaks volumes of Ian Anderson’s genius...

  16. L.... W....

    Beautiful *****

  17. j.... ....

    ok  be that way