Ralph McTell — Red Sky at Night

Oh, such a glowering weary day As he traipsed over the fields With a droop-tailed dew-dropped drizzled dog Padding along at his heels A split in the cloud threw sunlight Like a dagger ripping open the sky He could see by his breath there'd be a frost tonight And the wind whipped a tear from his eye Screwed to a ball in his pocket Was the letter that said they'd foreclose And hawthorn snagged at his jacket As the anger inside fell and rose The chasm before him seemed massive Though used to a living so harsh The sheep on the fell-side impassive Nipping the thin winter grass Red sky in the morning Sailor beware at first light There will not be any warning There's going to be a red sky tonight Far from his mind was the springtime The lambing and starting new The wild summer hills in their beauty And the cry of the lapwing and ewe The living a hill shepherd scratches At the end of the tunnel the light Would be from a box of matches There's going to be a red sky tonight There's going to be a red sky tonight