Going back to the summer of seventy three
To a lambent evening on Rue Jolie
We were five up on a motorbike singing off-key
(Loud and off-key)
Yeah, they fetched the Akaroa constable
Dragged him from his black and white TV
To take our names and fix some blame for being too free
(Too young and too free)

Howling at the sun
Dancing to a rhythm wiser, wider, wilder than the sea
Living with the wind
Laughing at the rules and bending what we couldn’t break for free
Howling at the sun

On a family summer holiday
We ran away from home at fifteen
From Kaiteriteri we hitched and walked to Blenheim
(Blisters for Blenheim)
But it froze and we had to turn ourselves in
The night in the cells was no game
In the morning the sergeant made us walk back the way we came
(“It’s a long way, get walking”)

Howling at the sun …

We were driving to Sumner in seventy six
To buy a bag or two from the man
Radio up, windows down in the summer sun
(Gallagher and Lyle in the sun)
We were clean when the CIB busted in
But they strip-searched us just for fun
We lost our money and drove back home knowing we’d been done
(Set up and done)

Howling at the sun …

Well I heard from Pauline
She’s a lawyer in Hamilton now
And Jamie’s a priest somewhere in America, God knows how
(God knows how)
Roni’s a mother of four teenagers
And Ben’s a policeman in Thames
We’d never have cut him in on the action if we’d known that then
(If we’d known that then)

Howling at the sun …

Leigh Harrison © APRA 2003