Over the Hills and Far Away (Gary Moore song)
{{short description|1986 single by Gary Moore}}
{{Infobox song|name=Over the Hills and Far Away|cover=Gary Moore Over the Hills and Far Away.jpg|alt=|caption=|type=single|artist=Gary Moore|album=Wild Frontier|B-side="Crying in the Shadows"|released={{start date|1986|12|8|df=yes}}|recorded=|studio=|venue=|genre={{hlist|Hard rock|heavy metal|celtic rock{{Cite web |title=Gary Moore |url=https://www.metal-hammer.de/artists/gary-moore/ |access-date=2022-04-25 |website=Metal Hammer |language=de-DE}}}}|length={{plainlist|
- {{duration|m=4|s=38}} (7" version)
- {{duration|m=5|s=20}} (album version)
- {{duration|m=7|s=23}} (12" version)
}}|label=10|writer=Gary Moore|producer=Peter Collins|prev_title=Listen to Your Heartbeat|prev_year=1985|next_title=Wild Frontier|next_year=1987}}
"Over the Hills and Far Away" is a song by Northern Irish musician Gary Moore, released in December 1986 by 10 Records as the first single from his sixth solo album Wild Frontier. The song peaked at number 20 on the UK Singles Chart, but was most successful in the Nordic countries, topping the charts in Finland and Norway.
The song features The Chieftains, who also appear in the video.{{Cite web |date=1988-03-24 |title=Chieftains, Tops in Irish Folk Music, Celebrate Their Silver Anniversary |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1988-03-24-ca-212-story.html |access-date=2022-04-25 |website=Los Angeles Times |language=en-US}} Moore performed the song with the group at the TV show celebrating their 25th anniversary in 1988.
The single B-side, "Crying in the Shadows", was also written by Moore and was produced by Mike Stone. It was also recorded by Japanese singer Minako Honda, titled "The Cross (Ai No Jujika)", with Moore on guitar. Moore's version of "Crying in the Shadows" was released as a single in Japan in October 1986, one month after Honda's version, with "Once in a Lifetime" from the Run for Cover album as the B-side.
Lyrics
The song is about a man wrongfully accused of armed robbery, but won't tell who his alibi is as it is the wife of his best friend, with whom he was sleeping. So, he gets sent to prison "over the hills and far away, for ten long years". During prison he receives love letters from the woman and "he swears he will return one day", so "back in his arms is where she'll be".{{Cite web|date=2011-03-12|title=Making sense of 'Over the hills and far away'|url=https://www.itsacon.net/entertainment/music/making-sense-of-over-the-hills-and-far-away/|access-date=2020-10-01|website=Itsacon's Log|language=en-US}}
The song's subject matter is very similar to that of the 1959 country ballad "Long Black Veil", which also involves a wrongfully-convicted man who refuses to give an alibi because it would reveal his affair with his best friend's wife.
Track listing
7" vinyl
- "Over the Hills and Far Away" – 4:38
- "Crying in the Shadows" – 5:00
7" vinyl double pack (limited edition, UK)
- "Over the Hills and Far Away"
- "Crying in the Shadows"
- "Out in the Fields" (Live)
- "All Messed Up" (Live)
12" vinyl
- "Over the Hills and Far Away" (Extended Version) – 7:23
- "Over the Hills and Far Away" (7" Version) – 4:38
- "Crying in the Shadows" – 5:00
- "All Messed Up" (Live at Milton Keynes) – 5:52
CD (1988, UK)
- "Over the Hills and Far Away"
- "Crying in the Shadows"
- "All Messed Up" (Live)
Charts
| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"
!Chart (1987) !Peak |
| scope="row" |Australia (Kent Music Report){{cite book|last=Kent|first=David|title=Australian Chart Book 1970–1992|publisher=Australian Chart Book|year=1993|isbn=0-646-11917-6|edition=illustrated|location=St Ives, N.S.W.|page=207|author-link=David Kent (historian)}}
|94 |
|---|
| scope="row" |Finland (Suomen virallinen lista){{Cite web|last=Timo|date=13 August 2015|title=Sisältää hitin: Levyt ja esittäjät Suomen musiikkilistoilla vuodesta 1960: Artistit MOK - MOY|url=http://suomenlistalevyt.blogspot.com/2015/08/mok-moy.html|access-date=2020-10-01|website=Sisältää hitin}}
|1 |
| {{singlechart|Ireland2|6|song=Over the Hills and Far Away|rowheader=true}} |
| {{singlechart|Dutch40|25|artist=Gary Moore|song=Over the Hills and Far Away|rowheader=true}} |
| {{singlechart|Dutch100|22|artist=Gary Moore|song=Over the Hills and Far Away|rowheader=true}} |
| {{singlechart|New Zealand|43|artist=Gary Moore|song=Over the Hills and Far Away|rowheader=true}} |
| {{singlechart|Norway|1|artist=Gary Moore|song=Over the Hills and Far Away|rowheader=true|refname="Norway"}} |
| {{singlechart|Sweden|7|artist=Gary Moore|song=Over the Hills and Far Away|rowheader=true}} |
| {{singlechart|Switzerland|27|artist=Gary Moore|song=Over the Hills and Far Away|rowheader=true}} |
| {{singlechart|UKsinglesbyname|20|artist=Gary Moore|rowheader=true|refname="UK"}} |
| {{singlechart|Billboardmainstreamrock|24|artist=Gary Moore|rowheader=true}} |
Covers
- Ukrainian singer Ruslana performed the song in Ukrainian titled Понад горами (Ponad Horamy), the studio version appeared on her album Naikrashche, released in 2001.
- In 2000, it was covered by Swedish viking metal band Thyrfing on their third album Urkraft.
- In 2001, it was covered by Finnish symphonic metal band Nightwish for their EP of the same name, which peaked at number 1 in Finland as well as charting in several over countries.{{Cite web|title=finnishcharts.com - Nightwish - Over The Hills And Far Away|url=https://finnishcharts.com/showitem.asp?interpret=Nightwish&titel=Over+The+Hills+And+Far+Away&cat=s|access-date=2020-10-01|website=finnishcharts.com}}
- In 2004, for the Gary Moore tribute album Give Us Moore, it was covered by German heavy metal band Domain.{{Cite web|last=Songfacts|title=Over The Hills And Far Away by Gary Moore - Songfacts|url=https://www.songfacts.com/facts/gary-moore/over-the-hills-and-far-away|access-date=2020-10-01|website=www.songfacts.com|language=en}}
- In 2015, it was covered by Finnish country band Steve 'n' Seagulls on their debut album Farm Machine.{{Cite web|title=Original versions of Over the Hills and Far Away by Steve 'n' Seagulls {{!}} SecondHandSongs|url=https://secondhandsongs.com/performance/471709|access-date=2020-10-01|website=secondhandsongs.com}}
- In 2018, it was covered by Patty Gurdy on the album Shapes & Patterns EP. The music video has been viewed over 14 million times.{{Citation |title="Over the Hills and Far Away" - Patty Gurdy (Gary Moore / Nightwish Hurdy Gurdy Cover) |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ec729nmajwc |language=en |access-date=2022-06-19}}
External links
- [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Wtsr6MxUkk 1988 TV performance at the Chieftains' anniversary show]