Life On The Hill

I know it's late
But we could pass the time
I could tell you a story
Mine isn't your common or garden life
Last Friday night, he just arrived
Came out of the dark
Barefaced and knocked on the door
He seemed to have all his belongings on his back
He just looked at me with a broad smile
And said 'say hello to your new brother
I haven't seen you in quite some time'

Well, I said, 'come in, take a seat by the fire
Put your feet out, let me take your coat
You look cold like the depth of winter'
That's when I saw the look in his eyes
And he said

Is that what money amounts to
A house on the hill, ugly and new
Is that what money amounts to
A house on the hill hogging the view

And I said 'hold on now, first of all
There's no need for an outburst like that'
And he apologized
And put his hand deep in his pocket
And brought out a photograph
That he believed was evidence of us both
Having the same mother
I kind of gulped at first
And then I had a second look

Well, I said, 'yes, it definitely looks like her
She was pretty in her younger days
How is she now, I remember her leaving'
And he just looked in some half-vacant gaze
And said

Is that what money amounts to
A house on the hill, ugly and new
Is that what money amounts to
A house on the hill hogging the view

Is that what money amounts to
A house on the hill, ugly and new
Is that what money amounts to
Does all of this house belong to you

That was his second outburst of the night
We sat silent for a while
And then he started to play the guitar
Well, well, he wasn't really that good

So I said 'now just calm down
You're getting a little heated
A bit red in the face'
And he said 'how come I've not known
Of your existence
And how come you've got
Such a wonderful place'
Well, I looked at his clothes
And I looked in his eyes
Maybe his side of the family had fallen on some
Hard times, and I said

This is what money amounts to
A house on the hill
This is what money amounts to
And it gives me a thrill

My brother, brand new brother
Hey, now, brother, what's your name
Hey, brand new brother
Tell me, what's your name
Hey, now, brother
Tell me, what's your name

And then it suddenly occurred to me
That maybe this new brother of mine
Had never seen his father
So I pulled out a picture
Which I believed was evidence of us both
Having the same father
We laughed a little, he relaxed
And we looked at each other
And we both said 'snap'
And we both said 'snap'