“Fare thee well
My own true love
Farewell for a while
I’m going away
But I’ll be back
Though I go 10,000 miles

10,000 miles
My own true love
10,000 miles or more
The rocks may melt
And the seas may burn
If I should not return

Oh don’t you see
That lonesome dove
Sitting on an ivy tree
She’s weeping for
Her own true love
As I shall weep for mine

Oh come ye back
My own true love
And stay a while with me
If I had a friend
All on this earth
You’ve been a friend to me…”

~ 10,000 Miles, Mary Chapin Carpenter

This song was featured in the 1996 motion picture Fly Away Home.

The film was based on a true story about a car accident, some interesting father/daughter dynamics, small airplanes, environmental conservation and Canadian geese.

The song is based on a traditional English folk song that has been traced back to the 18th century. The title is “fare thee well” and it is sometimes referred to as “the turtle dove.”