Every year, my monthly song circle votes for a song that we'll sing at the end of every session - usually a good parting song that we'd all like to learn. This year, the runner-up was "The Song Goes On," by Mick Ryan. I didn't see it posted, so I thought I'd post it here.

The Song Goes On

Words & Music by Mick Ryan
(Recorded by POLES APART on The Song Goes On)

There are singers that we love as we sing our lives away,
And though we all fall silent in the end,
They will sing with us forever they'll be singing every day,
 When we sing the songs they sang.

Chorus:
For the song goes on, in the songs we sing,
And when one song ends, then another song begins,
So the singers who are gone, will be singing once again,
When we sing the songs they sang.

Some are heard by many and some are heard by few,
And though we all fall silent in the end,
Someone will remember both the song you sing and you,
When they sing the songs you sang.

Refrain:
Sing the chorus, sing the song,
And the singers gone before us will be singing right along.
Sing the chorus and refrain,
And the singers gone before us will be singing once again.

We can drive away the silence of the grave that we all fear,
And though we all fall silent in the end,
Sing and you'll be singing with the singers you hold dear,
When you sing the songs they sang.

So if you sing along you bring along the singers who are gone,
Though we all fall silent in the end.
Sing and you'll be singing both the singer and the song,
When you sing the songs they sang.

These lyrics are from the Website of Tom Lewis, http://www.tomlewis.net/lyrics/song_goes_on.htm

Anybody know the story behind this song? Seems like there's some tie to Cyril Tawney.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R_4UHDXYFdY&list=PLhNvh_q275uzZD7hpPtzjizp3tOYoZcgR&index=33