Mary was waiting
Suitcase in her hand
Searching for his car
Over the broken land

She saw the dust rise
As he came to take her
Far from her mountains
In that rusty old boneshaker

Ruapehu
Goodbye my Ngauruhoe
Farewell the mighty
Rangatira Tongariro

Goodbye her mother
Who didn't know she was leaving
Farewell to these empty roads
Would she ever again see them?

They were riding for the bright lights of Auckland
A life alone together to find them

Mary they told you that we're all searching for something
But we seldom find it in each other's eyes
Rain clouds lay on the disappearing horizon
Can't see them coming under narrow skies

And in the harbour you see that lonely reminder
You know they call him the fire in the sky
The southern brothers are forever calling
The place where its buried and will never die

She lived her long life
Said she was happy
She held her children
Sung them songs and changed their nappies

But one day he left home
And never came back
She packed the kids into the car
And drove away down that one track

As they crossed over the
Waikato river
The clouds parted
And they saw across the water

Fire in the sky
Snow down to the waves
The cold black marble
On her mother's grave

Oh Mary they couldn't believe you were gone
But the three mountains sing their silent song

Mary they told you that we're all searching for something
But we seldom find it in each other's eyes
Rain clouds lay on the disappearing horizon
Can't see them coming under narrow skies

And in the harbour you saw that lonely reminder
You know they call him the fire in the sky
The southern brothers are forever calling
The place where its buried and will never die