[Intro][Art Rock][Marillion Style][Melodic Guitar Riff]
(Instrumental intro with a slightly unsettling, melodic guitar line)

[Verse 1][Observational][Wry Tone][Narrative Vocal]
Old man Silas, retired from the soil
Traded his plow for a seat on the board
School governor now, with a twinkle and a coil
Of unspoken thoughts, a life keenly explored.
The fields are all quiet, the harvest long done
But the land taught him lessons, beneath the harsh sun.

[Verse 2][Matter-of-Fact][Quirky undertones]
He walks through the gates, tweed jacket pulled tight
A Purdey on his shoulder, a familiar old friend
Not for show, not for malice, nor a desperate fight
Just a tool of his trade, right up to the end.
He’s seen fox and hare fall, the cycle unfold
A story in blood, both bitter and bold.

[Chorus][Slightly Sinister][Clear Vocal]
He’ll talk of the budget, the leaking school roof
Then mention the fox that got into the coop
With a calm in his eyes, and a practical proof
Of nature’s cold order, a whisper, a swoop.
Life and death balanced, a delicate scale
He understands that, beyond any pale.

[Verse 3][Observational][Focus on Routine]
The children they stare, with innocent wonder
At the man with the gun, by the notice board wall
He’ll offer a nod, not asking for thunder
Just a quiet assurance, standing sturdy and tall.
He’s dealt with the varmints, the pests, and the blight
And the farm, it had taught him to face every night.

[Bridge][Building Tension][Unsettling Guitar]
Some whisper and fidget, some look away fast
But Silas just smiles, his gaze steady and deep
The lessons he learned, they were meant now to last
In the world of the young, secrets they keep.
He knows what is needed, when chaos takes hold
A firm, guiding hand, a story untold.

[Chorus][Slightly Sinister][Clear Vocal]
He’ll talk of the budget, the leaking school roof
Then mention the fox that got into the coop
With a calm in his eyes, and a practical proof
Of nature’s cold order, a whisper, a swoop.
Life and death balanced, a delicate scale
He understands that, beyond any pale.

[Outro][Fading Guitar Riff][Wry Observation]
(Guitar riff returns, fading slowly)
He’ll pack up his papers, and head for the door
The gun slung across him, the same as before.
Just Silas, the farmer, forevermore.
(Song fades out)