Bitter Green

Bitter Green is a song by Gordon Lightfoot, released on the 1968 Back Here on Earth album and on the 1969 Sunday Concert live album. The single reached #44 in Canada. A cover version by Ronnie Hawkins reached #36 in 1970.

The song is a ballad about an enigmatic woman who walks the hills above the town, awaiting the return of her lover. Townspeople speculate as to who the mystery man is:

Some say he was a sailor who died away at sea
Some say he was a prisoner who never was set free
Lost upon the ocean, he died there in the mist
Dreaming of a kiss

Her lover finally returns, too late:

But now the bitter green is gone, the hills have turned to rust
There comes a weary stranger, his tears fall in the dust
Kneeling by the churchyard in the autumn mist
Dreaming of a kiss