Daniel Lanois
"Silium's Hill"


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Shoe Shine Mamma
Spits for her money
Wants to make a living
Try to make her own

All she ever wanted was to
make her own money and
settle down on Silium's Hill

She prayed by the water on Manitou Bay
Sipping ambrosia on a holy night
Counting the lovers that had passed her way
They could not see her on Silium's Hill

On a frozen lamp pole I scratch her name -
With my rusty old penknife
on a empty heart
Standing by the window, is that you out there
at the Southern Cross over Silium's Hill

Oh, baby will you ride with me
Through the wheat towns to Medicine Hat
When the cold winds blow I'll be there
I'll hang on tight, baby sure go for that

Now the old man knocks at my front door,
Shoe Shine Mamma isn't here anymore
There's a stranger in my place
looking out over Silium's Way...

Listen to the humming of the railway cars
My hands frozen on the wheel
600 miles away from home
running on the shadow of Silium's Hill

Somewhere back on Church Street
Shoe Shine Mamma spits for her money
Trying to make a living, wanna make her own
Down at the bottom of Silium's Hill

Mamma wanna build her own
down at the bottom of Silium's Hill