they came for him one winter's night arrested, he was bound they said there'd been a robbery his pistol had been found <♪> they marched him to the station house he waited till the dawn and as they led him to the dock he knew that he'd been wronged you stand accused of robbery he heard the bailiff say he knew without an alibi tomorrow's light would mourn his freedom over the hills and far away for ten long years he'll count the days over the mountains and the seas a prisoner's life for him there'll be he knew that it would cost him dear but yet he dare not say just where he'd been that fateful night a secret it must stay he had to fight back tears of rage his heart beat like a drum for with the wife of his best friend he spent his final night of freedom over the hills and far away he swears he will return one day far from the mountains and the seas back in her arms again he'll be over the hills and far away over the hills and over the hills and over the hills and far away <♪> each night within his prison cell he looks out through the bars he reads the letters that she wrote one day he'll know the taste of freedom over the hills and far away she prays he will return one day as sure as the rivers reach the seas back in his arms again she'll be over the hills and far away she prays he will return one day as sure as the rivers reach the seas back in his arms again she'll be over the hills and far away she prays he will return one day as sure as the rivers reach the seas back in his arms again she'll be over the hills over the hills and far away over the hills over the hills and far away