2. Years Slip South (Full song — ~5:26 | reflective slow‑rock style, similar flow to Time) [Intro — 0:00‑0:44: clean ringing guitar + soft steady beat, faint wind ambience underneath] Verse 1 I grew up where the southern plains run flat and wide Where the winter winds cut through the open side Thought the days would stretch out long like roads that never end Never knew how fast the years would bend Watched the sun go down on the places I had known Felt the weight of days I’d already outgrown Packed my bag before the first light touched the sky Turned my face toward the northern sky Pre‑Chorus Time don’t wait for the plans we lay Don’t turn back for the things we say It just rolls on beneath the sun Till the moments are already gone Chorus Oh the years slip south, they drift beyond the gate Like the clouds that drift across the Queensland state No clock can hold them back, no fence can turn their way They just roll on through the heat and through the grey Oh the years slip south, they fade into the blue Every mile I’ve walked, every dream I knew Verse 2 Seen the wet‑season floods swell high along the bends Seen the dry heat bake the ground where the grass once bends Friends moved on, some stayed, some vanished down the track Some left marks that I still carry on my back I’ve walked the back‑roads late beneath the wide‑blue dome Looking for the place I finally call my home Time don’t stop for joy or sorrow, don’t slow down for pain Just keeps moving through the sun and rain Pre‑Chorus Time don’t wait for the plans we lay Don’t turn back for the things we say It just rolls on beneath the sun Till the moments are already gone Chorus Oh the years slip south, they drift beyond the gate Like the clouds that drift across the Queensland state No clock can hold them back, no fence can turn their way They just roll on through the heat and through the grey Oh the years slip south, they fade into the blue Every mile I’ve walked, every dream I knew Bridge Every mile I’ve wandered, every night I’ve known Every heavy load I’ve carried, every seed I’ve sown All the dark and all the brightness woven into one Beneath the wide‑stretched northern sun You can chase the light, you can chase the past But the stream keeps flowing, it was never built to last Final Chorus (softer then builds up) Oh the years slip south, they drift beyond the gate Like the clouds that drift across the Queensland state No clock can hold them back, no fence can turn their way They just roll on through the heat and through the grey [Outro — 4:48‑5:26: guitar fades, soft wind returns, quiet vocal echo: “Years slip south… drift on…”]
