Come by the hills to the land where fancy is free
And stand where the peaks meet the sky and the lochs meet the sea
Where the rivers run clear and the bracken is gold in the sun
Ah, the cares of to-morrow can wait ’til this day is done.

Oh, come by the hills to the land where life is a song
And sing while the birds fill the air with their joy all day long
Where the trees sway in time and even the wind sings in tune
Ah, the cares of to-morrow can wait ’til this day is done.

Come by the hills to the land where legend re-mains
Where stories of old fill the heart and may yet come a-gain
Where our past has been lost and the future has still to be won
Ah, the cares of to-morrow can wait ’til this day is done.

The lovely words of “Come by the Hills” or Buachaill On Eirne in the Gaelic language. This song is an example of a traditional Irish tune being given new life with carefully penned lyrics, in this case by the Scottish playwright Gordon Smith (1928 – 1996). The song has been performed by many artistes including the Irish folk band Clannard, Loreena McKennitt, Rita McNeil, Phil Coulter among others. My favorite is the version sung by a 14-year old Damien McGinty from the Irish folk-pop band, Celtic Thunder.

And here’s an instrumental rendition of the song performed by Phil Coulter and His Concert Orchestra, from the album, Heartland.