Genna's Songbook
Dark ModeThe Banks of the Brisbane River
Here's a health to the company
John Thompson ver.
And it's all for me grog my jolly jolly grog
All for me beer and tobacco
Well I spent all my tin in a shanty drinking gin
Now across the Western plains I must wander
I'm stiff stoney broke and I've parted with me moke
And the sky is looking black as flaming thunder
And the shanty boss is too for I haven't got a sou
That's the way you're treated when you're down and under
I'm sick in the head for I haven't been to bed
Since first I touched this shanty with my plunder
I see centipedes and snakes, and I'm full of aches and shakes
So I’d better make a push out over yonder
Repentance brings reproof, so I sadly pad the hoof
All day I see the mirage of the trees
But it will all have to end, when I reach the river bend
And listen to the sighing of the breeze.
So hang that jolly grog, that hopeless shanty prog
All your beer that's loaded with tobacco
Grafting humour I am in and I'll stick the peg right in
And I'll settle down once more for to yakka
Nancy Kerr and James Fagan
Now Bass Strait roars like some great millrace
And where are you, my Annie?
And the same moon shines on this lonely place
As shone one day on my Annie's face.
But Annie dear, don't wait for me.
I fear I shall not return to thee.
There's naught to do but endure my fate,
And watch the moon, the lonely moon,
Light the breakers on wild Bass Strait.
We stole a vessel and all her gear
And where are you, my Annie?
And from Van Diemen's we north did steer
Till Bass Strait's wild waves wrecked us here.
A mile inland our path was laid
And where are you, my Annie?
We found a government stockade
Long abandoned but stoutly made
And somewhere west Port Melbourne lies
And where are you, my Annie?
Through swamps infested with snakes and flies.
The fool who walks there, he surely dies.
We hail no ships, though the time it drags.
And where are you, my Annie?
Our chain-gang walk and our government rags.
All mark us out as Van Diemen's lags.
We fled the lash and the chafing chain.
And where are you, my Annie?
We fled hard labour and brutal pain,
And here we are and here remain.
Oh, the wind is free, an’ we’re bound for the sea,
Heave away cheeri-lye o-ho!
Oh, the lassies are wavin’ to you an’ to me,
As off to the South’ard we’ll go-o,
As off to the South’ard we’ll go!
Sing, me lads, cheeri-lye,
Heave, me lads, cheeri-lye,
Heave away cheeri-lye o!
For the gold that we prize an’ for sunnier skies,
Away to the south’ard we’ll go!
And they’re cryin’, “Come back, my dear John an’ dear Jack,
For there’s water at front an’ there’s no door at back.”
Well that John he is true to his Sal and his Sue
As long as they can keep him both in his view
The gals to the south’ard are bully an’ fine,
When we gits to Melbourne we’ll have a good time.
We’ll soon be a-driving her out to the docks,
It’s where all the young pretty boys come in their frocks
Then it’s one to the other them flash girls do say,
“Just wait till he’s back with his forty-month’s pay.”
We’ll roust her up bully, the wind’s drawing free,
Let’s get on that gladrags and drive her to sea.
We’ll heave her up, bullies, an’ run her away,
We’ll soon be a-headin’ out on a long lay.
John Thompson
The Turrbal people saw her born
The banks of the Brisbane river
Their memories, they still live on
The banks of the Brisbane river
The dreaming days they may be gone
But long may the dreaming continue on
We live the dreams and sing the songs
On The banks of the Brisbane river
A storm blew Finnegan and Parsons North
Mr Thompson never made it ashore
To the Illawarra they were bound
But on Moreton Island they ran aground
They laboured north until they found
Lord Brisbane sent John Oxley north
He anchored the Mermaid just offshore
Though they thought him long since dead
Finnegan met them at the heads
The natives had kept the convict fed
Named for the governor of New South Wales
1823 saw white mans sails
Thousands of settlers to her were bound
She soon became young Queensland’s town
Federation heard the cheers resound by
The bridges they stretch from side to side
The mighty Story bridge was Queensland's pride
The shipyards they are long since gone
The iron wood wharves have been torn down
The banks have burst through the streets of the town
She saw our rise, She’ll see our fall
Her gentle waters will outlive is all
Long may her gentle waters run
Past the mangrove mud and past the town
That gave us our lives and gave her a name
The mighty serpent flows to this day
Through a great glass town she winds her way
From Stanley’s heights in the great divide
Damned at Wivenhoe then onto the tide
When the city cats purr
She’s our joy and pride
Stan Rogers
Oh the year was 1778
How I wish I was in Sherbrooke now
A letter of marque came from the king
To the scummiest vessel I've ever seen
God damn them all
I was told we'd cruise the seas for American gold
We'd fire no guns, shed no tears
Now I'm a broken man on a Halifax pier,
The last of Barrett's Privateers
Oh Elcid Barrett cried the town
For twenty brave men all fishermen who
Would make for him the Antelope's crew
The Antelope sloop was a sickening site
She'd list to the port and her sails in rags
And the cook in the scuppers with the staggers and jags
On the King's birthday we put to sea
Ninety-one days to Montego Bay
Pumping like madmen all the way
On the ninety-sixth day we sailed again
When a great big Yankee hove in sight
With our cracked four-pounders we made to fight
The Yankee lay low down with gold
She was broad and fat and loose in stays
But to catch her took the Antelope two whole days
Then at length she stood two cables away
Our cracked four-pounders made awful din
But with one fat ball the Yank stove us in
The Antelope shook and pitched on her side
Barrett was smashed like a bowl of eggs
And the main truck carried off both me legs
Now here I lay in my twenty-third year
It's been six years since we sailed away
And I just made Halifax yesterday
Robin Beanland, Sea of Thieves
Our ship she dreams
Of wind in her sails
Of wind in her sails unfurled
And shining as
We cross the sea
We cross the sea for home
Then we'll all raise our voices
A song in our hearts
And set our eyes on distant shores
With wind in our sails again
There'll be cheering and calling
No more squabbling and brawling
When we have the wind in our sails
When we have our feet on the ground
We'll spread our good fortune around
There'll be feasting and pleasure
No more rationing and measure
When we have the wind in our sails
Jolly Rogers
I served me time on the Black Ball line
To me way-aye-aye, hurray-ah
On the Black Ball line I served my time
Hurrah for the Black Ball Line
The Black Ball Lin is good and true
The Black Ball Line for me and you
I am a gunne on the black ball line
My twenty-four pounder’s all in line
With eighteen guns we turned about
With one broadside we put ‘er down
We robbedff her blind as she went down
Now it’s back to port and back to town
Eighteen knots with the wind about
Stand by yer lanyards fore and aft
Oh take a trip to Liverpool
Liverpool that damned cesspool
In a neat little town they call Belfast
Apprenticed to trade I was bound
And many an hour o' sweet happiness
I spent in that neat little town
'Til bad misfortune came o'er me
That caused me to stray from the land
Far away from me friends and relations
To follow the black velvet band
Her eyes they shown like diamonds
You'd think she was queen of the land
And her hair hung over her shoulder
Tied up with a black velvet band
Well I went out strolling one evening
Not meaning to go very far
When I met with a ficklesome damsel
She was plyin' her trade in the bar
When a watch she took from a customer
And slipped it right into my hand
Then in came the law and arrested me
Bad luck to her black velvet band
Next morning before judge and jury
For trial I had to appear
Then the judge he says me young fellow
The case against you is quite clear
And seven long years is your sentence
You're goin' to Van Dieman's land
Far away from your friends and relations
To follow the black velvet band
So come all ye jolly young fellows
I'll have you take warnin' from me
Whenever you're out on the liquor, me lads
Beware of the pretty colleens
For they'll fill you with whisky and porter
'Til you're unable to stand
And the very next thing that you know, me lads
You've landed in Van Dieman's land
Oh, I bid farewell to the port and the land
And I paddle away from brave England's white sands
To search for my long ago forgotten friends
To search for the place I hear all sailors end
As the souls of the dead fill the space of my mind
I'll search without sleeping 'til peace I can find
I fear not the weather, I fear not the sea
I remember the fallen, do they think of me?
When their bones in the ocean forever will be
Plot a course to the night, to a place I once knew
To a place where my hope died along with my crew
So I swallow my grief and face life's final test
To find promise of peace and the solace of rest
As the souls of the dead fill the space of my ears
Their laughter like children, their beckoning cheers
My heart longs to join them, sing songs of the sea
I remember the fallen, do they think of me?
When their bones in the ocean forever will be
When at last before my ghostly shipmates I stand
I shed a small tear for my home upon land
Though their eyes speak of deaths filled with struggle and strife
Their smiles below say I don't owe them my life
As the souls of the dead fill the space of my eyes
And my boat listed over and tried to capsize
I'm this far from drowning, this far from the sea
I remember the living, do they think of me?
When my bones in the ocean forever will be
Now that I'm staring down at the darkest abyss
I'm not sure what I want, but I don't think it's this
As my comrades call to stand fast and forge on
I make sail for the dawn 'til the darkness has gone
As the souls of the dead live fore'er in my mind
As I live all the years that they left me behind
I'll stay on the shore but still gaze at the sea
I remember the fallen and they think of me
For our souls in the ocean together will be
I remember the fallen and they think of me
for our souls in the ocean together will be
Oh, bury me beneath the willow
Under the weeping willow tree
So she will know where I am sleeping
And perhaps she’ll weep for me
My heart is sad I am lonely
For the only one I love
When shall I see her oh no never
‘Til we meet in heaven above
She told me that she dearly loved me
How could I believe it untrue
Until the angels softly whispered
She will prove untrue to you
Tomorrow was to be our wedding
God oh God where can she be
She’s out a-courtin’ with another
And no longer cares for me
The Longest Johns
When I was just a lad of twelve, I joined a skipper's crew,
To sail about the ocean wide, in search of treasures new
But failed to batten down a hatch, I let in scores of water
And that's when bo's'n introduced me to the captain's daughter
Oh! The captain's daughter, she's a sight!
She'll keep you up in the dead of night
She'll make you weep 'till your eyes turn sore
Like many other men before
The captain was an older man, not known for changing* tack
He'd bring his daughter out for any ordinary Jack
She'll make your skin shift colours faster than a signal flag
So don't be caught adrift and let the cat out of the bag
Well, out across the pond one day we heard the crow's nest call
And down the mast came crashing, being struck by cannonball
The captain stood there laughing, bid us stand to our last breath
But we'd rather face his daughter than a terrifying death
So onwards, to demise, she floats while we all beat to quarters
"Abandon ship!" the first mate cried and jumped into the water
"Belay that!" cried the captain, "I did not give those orders!
Fish out that dog from in the drink and fetch him to my daughter!"
Though years ago I'm still reminded of those awful days
My wife reminds me of the lash in oh so many ways
But between the two of them I know which brings more pain
I'd rather bring my back to bear than see my wife again!
Back to topJolly Rogers
A long time ago, way back in history
When all there was to drink was nothin but cups of tea
Along came a man by the name of Charlie Mops
And he invented a wonderful drink and he made it out of hops
He must have been an admiral a sultan or a king
And to his praises we shall always sing
Look what he has done for us he's filled us up with cheer!
Lord bless Charlie Mops, the man who invented beer beer beer
Tiddly beer beer beer
The Curtis bar, the James' Pub, the Hole in the Wall as well
One thing you can be sure of, its Charlie's beer they sell
So all ye lads a lasses at eleven O'clock ye stop
For five short seconds, remember Charlie Mops 1 2 3 4 5
A barrel of malt, a bushel of hops, you stir it around with a stick
The kind of lubrication to make your engine tick
40 pints of wallop a day will keep away the quacks
Its only eight pence hapenny and one and six in tax, 1 2 3 4 5
The Lord bless Charlie Mops! Hey Beer!
Back to top
The skipper’s in the wardroom drinking gin,
Hi-ho, chicken on a raft!
I don't mind knocking, but I ain't a-going in!
Hi-ho, chicken on a raft!
Jimmy's laughing like a drain,
Hi-ho, chicken on a raft!
Been lookin' at my comic cuts again,
Hi-ho, chicken on a raft!
Chicken on a raft on a Monday morning,
Oh, what a terrible sight to see,
Dabtoes forward and the dustmen aft,
Sittin' there a-pickin' at a chicken on a raft!
Hi-ho, chicken on a raft!
Hey-ho, chicken on a raft!
Hi-ho, chicken on a raft!
Hey-ho, chicken on a raft!
They gave me the middle and the forenoon too,
Now I'm pullin' in a whaler's crew.
There's a seagull wheelin' overhead,
Oh to be floatin' in a feather bed!
Well, I had a little girl in Donny B
And did she make a fool of me.
Her heart 'twas like a pusser's shower,
From hot to cold in a quarter of an hour!
So we kissed goodbye on the midnight bus
But she didn't cry and she didn't fuss.
So am I the man what she loves best
Or am I just a cuckoo in another man's nest?
An Amazon girl lived in Dumfries,
She only had her kids in twos and threes;
And her sister lives in Maryhill,
She says she won't but I think she will!
Fourwinds
Oh backwards and forwards I am reeling in tight
And it was some spree that I’d been at last night
I’ve been to McCarthy’s with Patsy O’Maher
And we drank the black bottle from under the bar
And we drank and we drank boys we banished all care
And we gave not a thought to foul weather nor fair
And now on the floor I am curled up in a heap
Biddy leave me to sleep Biddy leave me to sleep
For I’m clasped to a pig in a loving embrace
And the hairs of his curly tail are tickling my face
There’s no use in telling me sober to keep
Biddy leave me to sleep Biddy leave me to sleep
Oh well over my head in the days that are gone
Well gaily I flurried my knotty black thorn
And if I but only had it tonight
Well maybe I would not be offered a fight
Oh and if Pat Murphy I chances to meet
It’s an elegant ruckshee that we’ll have in the street
And he’ll soon be glad in his ott holt to creep
Biddy leave me to sleep Biddy leave me to sleep
Oh drop down by the pig here and share his embrace
And let my red whiskers lie close to your face
This créatúir won’t hurt you he’ll do you no harm
Drop down here Biddy and keep my back warm
And squeeze up beside me as you’ve oft done before
I’ll sing you to sleep with the sounds of my snore
The rats and the mice all around us will creep
Biddy leave me to sleep Biddy leave me to sleep
Sunset and evening star
And one clear call for me!
And may there be no moaning of the bar
When I put out to sea
When I put out to sea
When I put out to sea
And may there be no moaning of the bar
When I put out to sea
But such a tide as moving seems asleep
Too full for sound and foam
That which drew from out the boundless deep
Turns again home
Turns again home
Turns again home
That which drew from out the boundless deep
Turns again home
Twilight and evening bell
And after that the dark!
And may there be no sadness of farewell
When I embark
When I embark
When I embark
And may there be no sadness of farewell
When I embark
For tho' from out our bourne of Time and Place
The flood may bear me far
I hope to see my Pilot face to face
When I have crost the bar
When I have crost the bar
When I have crost the bar
I hope to see my Pilot face to face
When I have crost the bar
When I have crost the bar
When I have crost the bar
I hope to see my Pilot face to face
When I have crost the bar
Cloudstreet
Dance up the sun on a fine may morning
Dance up the sun to call in the spring
Dance away the dark while the new day is dawning
All is new when we dance and we sing
The Bells will ring when the morris men come
We call in the spring and dance up the sun
The Bells will ring when the morris men come
We call in the spring and dance up the sun
Gather in the Dark, recall the winter
Celebrate the tales that the old ones bring
The music rises with the first light’s gleaming
The dawn will break, and the bell will ring
Form the lines and turn together
Hear the clash of the staff as we shout and we sing
the tunes all sound to the tatty coats flying
We call up the light as the day comes in
Ancient ways with the seasons turning
the passing yuears see the dance go on
we sing the past as we dance to the future
we celebrate the year with the Dawn of the Sun
Frederic Weatherly
Oh, Danny boy, the pipes, the pipes are calling
From glen to glen, and down the mountain side
The summer’s gone, and all the roses falling
‘Tis you, ‘tis you must go and I must bide.
But come ye back when summer’s in the meadow
Or when the valley’s hushed and white with snow
‘Tis I’ll be there in sunshine or in shadow
Oh, Danny boy, oh Danny boy, I love you so!
And when ye come, and all the flow’rs are dying
If I am dead, as dead I well may be
Ye’ll come and find the place where I am lying
And kneel and say an Ave there for me.
And I shall hear, though soft you tread above me
And all my grave will warmer, sweeter be
For you will bend and tell me that you love me,
And I shall sleep in peace until you come to me.
Janice Birns & Jon Doran
As I was going to Derby upon a Christmas day
It was there I met the finest ram that ever was fed on hay
Well, he had four feet to walk, sir, he had four feet to stand
And every foot that he did have, it covered a mile of land
And indeed, my lads, it's true, I never was known to lie
And if you'd been in Derby, you'd seen the same as I
Now, the horns that grew on this ram's head, they reached up to the moon
And a boy went up in April and he didn't get down till June
Now, the horns that grew on this ram's head, they grew so mighty widе
That a coach and six could go betwixt with a footmen by the sidе
Now this old ram, he had a tail, it reached right down to hell
And every time he waggled it, it rang the old church bell
And the butcher that killed this ram, sir, was up to knees in blood
And four in twenty butcher boys were drowned all in the flood
And the flood, it run for forty miles, I'm sure it run no more
It turned the biggest water wheel that ever was turned before
Now, all the kids in Derby come begging for his lice
To kick about in Derby town, for they were a football-size
And if you don't believe me and think it all a lie
Well, you go down to Derby town and you'll see the same as I
Les Miserables
Do you hear the people sing?
Singing a song of angry men?
It is the music of a people
Who will not be slaves again!
When the beating of your heart
Echoes the beating of the drums
There is a life about to start
When tomorrow comes!
Will you join in our crusade?
Who will be strong and stand with me?
Beyond the barricade
Is there a world you long to see?
Then join in the fight
That will give you the right to be free!
Will you give all you can give
So that our banner may advance
Some will fall and some will live
Will you stand up and take your chance?
The blood of the martyrs
Will water the meadows of France!
Well it was on this monday morning and the day be calm and fine
A harbour grace excursion with the boys who had the time
And just before the sailor took the gangway from the pier
I saw some fellow haul me wife aboard as a volunteer
Oh me, oh my, I heard me old wife cry
Oh me, oh my, I think I'm gonna die!
Oh me, oh my, I heard me old wife say,
"I wish I'd never taken this excursion around the bay"
We had fourteen hundred souls aboard, oh what a splendid sight!
Left stong and regimental to make our spirits bright
And meself being in the double, when a funny things they'd say
They choke themselves from laughing when they'd see us in the bay
Me wife she got no better, she turned a sickly green
I fed her cake and candy, fat pork and kerosene
Castor Oil and sugar of candy, I rubbed pure oil on her face
And I said she'll be a dandy when we reaches Harbour Grace!
My wife she got no better, my wife me darling dear
The screeches from her trollear could hear in Carbonear
I tried every place in Harbour Grace, Tried every store and shop,
To get her something for a cure or take her to the hop
She died below the brandy's as we were coming back
We buried her in the ocean, wrapped up in a Union Jack
So now I am a single man, in search of a pretty face
And the woman that says she'll have me, I'm off for Harbour Grace!
Farewell to Nova Scotia
And your sea bound coast
Let your mountains dark and dreary be
When I am far away on the
Briney oceans tossed
Will you ever heave a sigh
Or a wish for me
The sun is setting in the west
The birds are singing from every tree
All nature seems inclinded to rest
But still there will be no rest for me
I grieve to leave my native land
I grieve to leave my comrades all
And my aged parents whom I love so dear
And the bonny bonny lassie that I do adore
The drums do beat the wars do alarm
The captain calls, I must obey
Farewell, farewell to Nova Scotia's charms
For it's early in the monring and I'm far far away
I have three brothers they are at rest
Their arms are folded on their chest
But a briney sailor just like me
Must be tossed and driven in the deep blue sea
Shotover river, your gold it is waning
It's weeks since the colour I've seen
But it's no use just sitting and Lady Luck blaming
So I'll pack up and make the break clean
Farewell to the gold that never I found
Goodbye to the nuggets that somewhere abound
For it's only when dreaming that I see you gleaming
Down in the dark, deep underground
It's nearly two years since I left my old mother
For adventure and gold by the pound
With Jimmy the prospector - he was another
For the hills of Otago was bound
We worked the Cardrona's dry valley all over
Old Jimmy Williams and me
But they were panning good dirt on the winding Shotover
So we headed down there just to see
We sluiced and we cradled for day after day
Making hardly enough to get by
Til a terrible flood swept poor Jimmy away
During six stormy days in July
As I walked by the dockside one evening so fair,
to view the salt waters and take the salt air,
I heard an old fisherman singing a song,
'Oh take me away boys, me time is not long'.
Wrap me up in me oilskins and jumpers,
No more on the docks I'll be seen.
Just tell me old shipmates, I'm taking a trip, mates,
And I'll see you some day on Fiddler's Green.
Now Fiddler's Green is a place I've heard tell,
where the fishermen go if they don't go to hell.
Where the skies are all clear and the dolphins do play,
And the cold coast of Greenland is far, far away.
Where there's always a breeze and there's never a gale,
And the fish jump on board with one swish of their tail.
Where you lie at your leisure, there's no work to do,
And the skipper's below making tea for the crew.
When you get back on docks and the long trip is through,
There's pubs and there's clubs and there's lassies there, too.
Where the girls are all pretty and the beer it is free,
And there's bottles of rum growing from every tree.
Now I don't want a harp nor a halo, not me,
Just give me a breeze on a good rolling sea.
I'll play me old squeezebox as we sail along,
With the wind in the rigging to sing me a song.
Come all you young sailor men, listen to me
I'll sing you a song of the fish in the sea
And it's windy weather, boys, stormy weather, boys
When the wind blows, we're all together, boys
Blow ye winds westerly, blow ye winds, blow
Jolly sou'wester, boys, steady she goes
Up jumps the cod with his chuckle head
Runs on up forward and throws out the lead
Up jumps the eel with his slippery tail
Climbs up aloft and reefs the topsail
Up jumps the herring the king of the sea
Says, “Now I’m the captain an’ you’ll follow me”
And then up jumps the shark with his nine rows of teeth
Saying, "You eat the dough boys, and I'll eat the beef!"
Up jumps the whale, the largest of all
"If you want any wind, well, I'll blow ye a squall"
Up jumps the herring, the king of the sea
“Now I’m the captain and you’ll follow me”
Up Jumps the fisherman, stalwart and grim
Throws out his net and scoops them all in.
As down the glen one Easter morn
To a city fair rode I
Their Armed lines of marching men
In squadrons passed me by
No pipes did hum, no battle drum
Did sound its loud tattoo
But the Angelus Bell o'er the Liffey's swell
Rang out through the foggy dew
Right proudly high over Dublin Town
Hung they out the flag of war
'Twas better to die 'neath an Irish sky
Than at Suvla or Sud-El-Bar
And from the plains of Royal Meath
Strong men came hurryin’ through
While Britannia's Huns, with their long range guns
Sailed in through the foggy dew
Oh the night fell black, and the rifles' crack
Made perfidious Albion reel
In the leaden rain, seven tongues of flame
Did shine o'er the lines of steel
By each shining blade a prayer was said,
That to Ireland her sons be true
But when morning broke, still the war flag shook
Out its folds in the foggy dew
'Twas England bade our Wild Geese go,
That "small nations might be free"
But their lonely graves are by Suvla's waves
Or on the fringe of the great North Sea
Oh, had they died by Pearse's side
Or fought with Cathal Brugha
Their graves we will keep where the Fenians sleep,
'Neath the shroud of the foggy dew
Oh the bravest fell, and the Requiem bell
Rang mournfully and clear
For those who died that Eastertide
In the spring time of the year
While the world did gaze, in deep amaze,
At those fearless men, but few,
Who bore the fight that the freedom's light
Might shine through the foggy dew
As back through the glen I rode again
And my heart with grief was sore
For I parted then with valiant men
Whom I never shall see more
But to and fro in my dreams I go
And I kneel and pray for you,
For slavery fled, O glorious dead,
When you fell in the foggy dew.
Karine Polwart
The back of the winter is broken
And light lingers long by the door
And the seeds of the summer have spoken
In gowans that bloom on the shore
By night and day we'll sport and we'll play
And delight as the dawn dances over the bay
Sleep blows the breath of the morning away
And we follow the heron home
In darkness we cradled our sorrow
And stoked all our fires with fear
Now these bones that lie empty and hollow
Are ready for gladness to cheer
So long may you sing of the salmon
And the snow-scented sounds of your home
While the north wind delivers its sermon
Of ice and salt water and stone
The Longest Johns
Come me boys and heave with me
Let's get off this cursed sea
Let's be home to lovers and wives
And leave behind these four hour lives
Four hours
Workin' on the swell
Four hours
Sloggin' in the rain
Four hours
Workin' to the bell
Then four hours
'Til it starts again
Come me boys and heave with me
The wind's my friend and my enemy
It carries me home, but it must be tamed
Everything lost or everything gained
Come me boys and heave with me
Got scabrous hands and bloody knees
But when the bell tolls, I'll go below
My hands will callous, and my strength will grow
Come me boys and heave away
Soaked and heavy heaving under the spray
Will I ever shed this salt on my brow?
Better the dust from under my plow
When I'm back in Bristol town
I'll buy my love a silken gown
We'll lie in each others arms and rest
Until that bell sounds in my chest
Oh, the fox went out on a chilly night
And he prayed for the moon to give him light
For he'd many a mile to go that night
Before he reached the town-o, town-o, town-o
He'd many a mile to go that night
before he reached the town-o
He ran 'til he came to the farmer's pen
The ducks and the geese were kept therein
He said, "A couple of you are gonna grease my chin"
Before I leave this town-o, town-o, town-o
A couple of you are going to grease my chin
Before I leave this town-o
He grabbed the gray goose by the neck
And he threw a duck across his back
And he didn't mind the quack, quack, quack
And the legs all danglin' down-o, down-o, down-o
He didn't mind the quack, quack
And the legs all danglin', down-o
Well, the old gray women jumped out of bed
She ran through the window, and she popped out her head
Cried, "John, John the great goose is gone
And the fox is on the town-o, town-o, town-o
John, John the great goose is gone,
and the fox is on the town-o"
He ran 'til he came back to his den
And there were the little ones eight, nine, ten
Singin', "Daddy, daddy, better go back again
For it must be a mighty fine town-o, town-o, town-o
Daddy, daddy, go back again
For it must be a mighty fine town-o"
The fox and his wife, without any strife
They cut up that goose with a fork and a knife
They never had such a supper in their life
And the little ones chewed on the bones-o, bones-o, bones-o
They never had such a supper in their life
And the little ones chewed on the bones-o
At Oranmore in the county Galway
One pleasant evening in the month's of May
I spied a damsel, she was young and handsome
Her beauty fairly took my breath away
She worn no jewels, nor costly diamonds
No paint nor powder, no none at all
But she worn a bonnet with ribbons on it
And 'round her shoulders was the Galway shawl
We kept on walking she kept on talking
'Till her fathers cottage came in to view
Said she, 'Come in sir', and meet my father
And play, to please him, 'The Foggy Dew'
She sat me down beside the hearthstone
I could see her father he was six feet tall
And soon her mother, had the kettle singing
All I could think of, was the Galway shawl
I played, 'The Black Bird', 'The Stack of Barley'
'Rodney's Glory' and 'The Foggy Dew'
She sang each note like an Irish linnet
And tears weld in her eyes of blue
'Twas early, early, all in the morning
I hit the road for old Donegal
Said she, 'goodbye sir', she cried and kissed me
But my heart remain with the Galway shawl
Eric Bogle
Well, how do you do, young Willie McBride?
Do you mind if I sit here down by your graveside?
And rest for a while in the warm summer sun
I've been walking all day, and I'm nearly done
I see by your gravestone you were only nineteen
When you joined the great fallen in 1916
I hope you died well and I hope you died clean
Or young Willie McBride, was it slow and obscene?
Did they beat the drum slowly, did they play the fife lowly?
Did they sound the death march as they lowered you down?
Did the band play The Last Post in chorus?
Did the pipes play the Flowers of the Forest?
Did you leave a wife or a sweetheart behind
In some faithful heart is your memory enshrined?
Although, you died back in 1916
In that faithful heart are you forever nineteen?
Or are you a stranger without even a name
Enclosed in forever behind a glass pane
In an old photograph, torn, battered and stained
And faded to yellow in a brown leather frame?
The sun now it shines on the green fields of France
There's a warm summer breeze that makes the red poppies dance
The trenches havve vanished from under the plough
There's no gas, no barbed wire, there's no guns firing now
But here in this graveyard it's still No Man's Land
The countless white crosses in mute witness stand
To man's blind indifference to his fellow man
To a whole generation that were butchered and damned
I can't help wonder, young Willie McBride,
Do those who lie here know why they died?
And did you believe when you answered the cause
Did you really believe that this war would end wars?
Well the sorrow, the suffering, the glory, the pain
The killing and dying, were all done in vain
For young Willie McBride, it all happened again
And again, and again, and again, and again
John Thompson
The Green Man’s a traveller, a reveller, unraveller
Of dreams and of fancies, from first to the last.
Older than all men, living in all things
Son, father and sage, Long live the Green Man!
First light of first morning saw the Green Man there waiting
He saw the creation and joined in the dance
All creatures grew ’round him, he grew with them singing
The first song of all, sing of the Green Man
Quietly watching and waiting and learning
The storms are his fury, the lightning his laugh
The first leaf of spring, is his beauty and glory
His stillness his power, in the trees is his path.
There are fewer trees now, but the man is not sleeping
‘Though our ruin brings sorrow to time’s oldest heart
In our souls we may find him and remember his wisdom
And rekindle the flame; once again make a start.
Older than all men, living in all things
Son, father and sage, Long live the Green Man!
I heard there was a secret chord
That David played and it pleased the Lord
But you don't really care for music, do you?
Well it goes like this the fourth, the fifth
The minor fall and the major lift
The baffled king composing hallelujah
Hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelu-u-u-u-jah ....
Well, your faith was strong but you needed proof
You saw her bathing on the roof
Her beauty and the moonlight overthrew you
She tied you to her kitchen chair
And from your lips she drew the hallelujah
Baby, I've been here before
I've seen this room and I've walked this floor
I used to live alone before I knew you
I've seen your flag on the marble arch
But love is not a victory march
It's a cold and it's a broken hallelujah
Well, there was a time when you let me know
What's really going on below
But now you never show that to me do you
But remember when I moved in you
And the holy dove was moving too
And every breath we drew was hallelujah
Well, maybe there's a God above
But all I've ever learned from love
Was how to shoot somebody who outdrew you
It's not a cry that you hear at night
It's not somebody who's seen the light
It's a cold and it's a broken hallelujah
Hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelu-u-u-u ....
Hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelu-u-u-u ....
Hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelu-u-u-u-jah ....
Halleluuuuuuujah
Let us pause in life's pleasures and count its many tears
While we all sup sorrow with the poor
There's a song that will linger forever in our ears
Oh, hard times, come again no more
'Tis the song, the sigh of the weary
Hard times, hard times, come again no more
Many days you have lingered around my cabin door
Oh, hard times, come again no more
While we seek mirth and beauty and music, light and gay
There are frail forms fainting at the door
Though their voices are silent, their pleading looks will say
Oh, hard times, come again no more
There's a pale weeping maiden who toils her life away
With a worn heart whose better days are o'er
Though her voice would be merry, 'tis sighing all the day
Oh, hard times come again no more
Oh, hard times, come again no more
When I was just a little lad, or so me Mammi told me
‘way Haul Away, we'll haul away, Joe
That if I didn't kiss the girls me lips would grow all mouldy
‘way Haul Away, we'll haul away, Joe
Away! Haul away, we'll haul away together
‘way Haul Away, we'll haul away, Joe
Away! Haul away, we'll hope for better weather
‘way Haul Away, we'll haul away, Joe
Oh Louis was the king of France before the Revolut-i-on
Then he got his head chopped off & it spoiled his constitut-i-on
Ya call yourself a "Second Mate", ya cann'e tie a bowline
You can't even stand up straight when the packet, she's a-rollin'
Well now can't ya see... the black clouds a-gatherin'
Well now can't ya see... the storm clouds a-risin'
Kind friends and companions, come join me in rhyme
Come lift up your voices in chorus with mine
Come lift up your voices all grief to refrain
For we may or might never all meet here again
Here's a health to the company and one to my lass
Let us drink and be merry all out of one glass
Let us drink and be merry all grief to refrain
For we may or might never all meet here again
Here's a health to the dear lass that I love so well
For her style and her beauty, sure none can excel
There's a smile on her countenance as she sits on my knee
There's no man in this wide world as happy as me
Our ship lies at anchor, she's ready to dock
I wish her safe landing, without any shock
If ever I should meet you by land or by sea
I will always remember your kindness to me
Bill Scott
Hey rain, rain comin' down
On the cane, on the roofs of the town.
Hey rain, hey rain
There's rain on me hands and rain on me face,
Oh muddy old Innisfail, you’re a muddy wet place,
Hey rain, hey rain.
And there's rain in me beer and rain in me grub,
And they've just fitted anchors to the Garradunga pub,
Hey rain, hey rain.
There's a Johnstone River crocodile livin' in me frig'
And a bloody great tree snapped the Jubilee Bridge
And the monsoon sky has sprung a leak
From Flyin' Fish Point to the Millstream Creek,
A bloke from the west nigh died of fright
When he saw the river rise thirty feet last night
It's the worst wet season we've ever had,
And I'd swim down to Tully, but it's just as bloody bad
Cloudstreet
In ‘48 in Idaho
For houses the animals had to go
They turned for help to man named Elmo
Fish and Game Employee!
What shall we do with a homeless beaver
What shall we do with a homeless beaver
What shall we do with a homeless beaver
Throw him from an airplane
Beavers they move way to slow
From Payette Lake they had to go
Their leader was called Geronimo
He was fine and brave and furry
Elmo Heter was the man
Elmo had a cunning plan
“I will do what noone else can,
Transplant all the beavers!”
The beavers their demise were facin’
They had to get to Chamberlin Basin
Against the clock Elmo was racin’
“We must save the beavers!”
He thought of parachutes, we don’t know why
To take the beavers through the sky
A dumb idea, but worth a try
A load of airborne beavers!
Elmo put them into boxes
Boxes with automatic lockses
That opened when they hit the rockses
Freedom for the beavers!
The beavers live there to this day
They tell their tales, they have their say
It is to Elmo whom they pray
The Sky God of the beavers!
Some bright morning when this life is over
I'll fly away
To a home on God's celestial shore
I'll fly away
I'll fly away, oh, Glory
I'll fly away (in the mornin’)
When I die, Hallelujah, by and by
I'll fly away
Just a few more weary days and then
To a land where joy shall never end
When the shadows of this life have gone
Like a bird from these prison walls I'll fly
Oh, how glad and happy when we meet
No more cold iron shackles on my feet
Just a few more weary days and then
To a land where joys will never end
I heard, I heard the old man say
John kanaka-naka too-ri-ay
Today, today is a holiday
John kanaka-naka too-ri-ay
Too-ri-ay, oh, too-ri-ay
John kanaka-naka too-ri-ay
We're bound away for Frisco Bay
We're bound away at the break of day
I thought I heard the bos'n say
We'll work tomorrow; no work today
It's rotten meat and weevily bread
In six months' time, you'll wish you were dead
When we arrive in Mobile Bay
We'll tear the sheets and spend our pay
The skipper says before we're through
You'll curse your mother for having you
Back to top
Well I never seen the like since I been born,
A railroad navvy with his sea boots on
When Johnny come down to Hilo, poor old man
Oh, wake 'er, oh, shake 'er
Oh wake that gal with the blue dress on
When Johnny come down to Hilo, poor old man
I met a little gal across the sea
She's a Boston beauty and she says to me
Who's been here since I've been gone?
A pretty little gal with a josey on
Well, my wife died in Tennessee
And they sent her jawbone back to me
Well, shake 'er bullies, helm's a-lee
She'll get washed out with a big green sea
Well I never seen the like since I been born
A railroad navvy with his sea boots on
While goin' the road to sweet Athy, hurroo, hurroo
While goin' the road to sweet Athy, hurroo, hurroo
While goin' the road to sweet Athy,
A stick in me hand and a drop in me eye,
A doleful damsel I heard cry,
Johnny I hardly knew ya.
With your guns and drums and drums and guns, hurroo, hurroo
With your guns and drums and drums and guns, hurroo, hurroo
With your guns and drums and drums and guns,
The enemy nearly slew ya
Oh my darling dear, Ye look so queer
Johnny I hardly knew ya.
Where are the eyes that looked so mild, hurroo, hurroo
Where are the eyes that looked so mild, hurroo, hurroo
Where are the eyes that looked so mild,
When my poor heart you first beguiled
Why did ye skidaddle from me and the child
Johnny, I hardly knew ya.
Ye haven't an arm, ye haven't a leg, hurroo, hurroo
Ye haven't an arm, ye haven't a leg, hurroo, hurroo
Ye haven't an arm and ye haven't a leg,
Ye're an armless, boneless, chickenless egg
Ye'll have to put with a bowl out to beg
Johnny I hardly knew ya.
I'm happy for to see ye home, hurroo, hurroo
I'm happy for to see ye home, hurroo, hurroo
I'm happy for to see ye home,
All from the island of Saloam;
So low in flesh, so high in bone
Johnny I hardly knew ya.
Oh the times was hard and the wages low
Leave her, Johnny, leave her
And the grub was bad and the gales did blow
And it's time for us to leave her
Leave her, Johnny, leave her
Oh, leave her, Johnny, leave her
For the voyage is done and the winds do blow
And it's time for us to leave her
I thought I heard the Old Man say
You can go ashore and take your pay
Oh her stern was foul and the voyage was long
The winds was bad and the gales was strong
And we'll leave her tight and we'll leave her trim
And heave the hungry packet in
Oh, leave her, Johnny, leave her with a grin
For there's many a worser we've sailed in
And now it's time to say goodbye
For the old pierhead's a-drawing nigh
Billy Joel
Oh, oh, oh
For the longest time
Oh, oh, oh
For the longest
If you said goodbye to me tonight
There would still be music left to write
What else could I do
I'm so inspired by you
That hasn't happened for the longest time
Once I thought my innocence was gone
Now I know that happiness goes on
That's where you found me
When you put your arms around me
I haven't been there for the longest time
I'm that voice you're hearing in the hall
And the greatest miracle of all
Is how I need you
And how you needed me too
That hasn't happened for the longest time
Maybe this won't last very long
But you feel so right
And I could be wrong
Maybe I've been hoping too hard
But I've gone this far
And it's more than I hoped for
Who knows how much further we'll go on
Maybe I'll be sorry when you're gone
I'll take my chances
I forgot how nice romance is
I haven't been there for the longest time
I had second thoughts at the start
I said to myself
Hold on to your heart
Now I know the woman that you are
You're wonderful so far
And it's more than I hoped for
I don't care what consequence it brings
I have been a fool for lesser things
I want you so bad
I think you ought to know that
I intend to hold you for the longest time
Nils Brown
I dreamed a dream the other night.
Lowlands, lowlands away me John.
My love she came,dressed all in white.
Lowlands away.
I Dreamed my love came in my sleep.
Her cheeks were wet, her eyes did weep.
She came to me at my bedside.
All dressed in white, like some fair bride.
And bravely in her bossom fair.
Her red, red rose, my love did wear.
She made no sound, no word she said.
And then i knew my love was dead.
Then I awoke to hear the cry.
Oh watch on deck. Oh watch, ahoy.
One's for sorrow, two's for joy
Three's for a girl and four's for a boy
Five's for silver, six for gold
Seven's for a secret never told
Devil, devil, I defy thee
Devil, devil, I defy thee
Devil, devil, I defy thee
Oh, the magpie brings us tidings
Of news both fair and foul
She's more cunning than the raven
More wise than any owl
For she brings us news of the harvest
Of the barley, wheat, and corn
And she knows when we'll go to our graves
And how we shall be born
She brings us joy when from the right
Grief when from the left
Of all the news that's in the air
We know to trust her best
For she sees us at our labour
And she mocks us at our work
And she steals the eggs from out of the nest
And she can mob the hawk
The priest, he says we're wicked
For to worship the devil's bird
Ah, but we respect the old ways
And we disregard his word
For we know they rest uneasy
As we slumber in the night
And we'll always leave out a little bit of meat
For the bird that's black and white
One's for sorrow, two's for joy
Three's for a girl and four's for a boy
Five's for silver, six for gold
Seven's for a secret never told
Stan Rogers
She went down last October, In a pouring driving rain,
The skipper he'd been drinking and The mate he felt no pain,
Too close to Three Mile Rock and she was Dealt her mortal blow
And the Mary Ellen Carter settled low.
There were just us five aboard her when she finally was awash.
We’d worked like hell to save her, all heedless of the cost.
And the groan she gave as she went down, it caused us to proclaim
That the Mary Ellen Carter would rise again.
Rise again, rise again!
Let her name not be lost to the knowledge of men
Those who loved her best and were with her 'til the end
Will make the Mary Ellen Carter rise again!
Well, the owners wrote her off; not a nickel would they spend
She gave twenty years of service, boys, then met her sorry end
But insurance paid the loss to us, so let her rest below
Then they laughed at us and said we had to go
But we talked of her all winter, some days around the clock
For she's worth a quarter million, afloat and at the dock
And with every jar that hit the bar, we swore we would remain
And make the Mary Ellen Carter rise again
All spring, now, we've been with her on a barge lent by a friend
Three dives a day in hard hat suit and twice I've had the bends
Thank God it's only sixty feet and the currents here are slow
Or I'd never have the strength to go below
But we've patched her rents, stopped her vents, dogged hatch and porthole down
Put cables to her, 'fore and aft and girded her around
Tomorrow, noon, we hit the air and then take up the strain
And make the Mary Ellen Carter rise again
For we couldn't leave her there, you see, to crumble into scale
She'd saved our lives so many times, living through the gale
And the laughing, drunken rats who left her to a sorry grave
They won't be laughing in another day
And you, to whom adversity has dealt the final blow
With smiling bastards lying to you everywhere you go
Turn to, and put out all your strength of arm and heart and brain
And like the Mary Ellen Carter, rise again
Rise again, rise again!
Though your heart, it be broken, and life about to end
No matter what you've lost, be it a home, a love, a friend
Then like the Mary Ellen Carter, rise again!
On Friday morning we set sail
Not being far from the land
It was there we espied a fair mermaid
With a comb and a glass in her hand
And the ocean's waves do roll
And the stormy winds do blow
And we poor sailors are skipping at the top
While the landlubbers lie down below below below
While the landlubbers lie down below
The boatswain at the helm stood
And was steering his course right well
With tears a-standing in his eyes,
Saying oh how the seas do swell
And then spoke the mate of our gallant ship
And a well-spoken man was he
Saying, “I have a wife in fair Plymouth town
And this night a widow she will be.”
Then spoke the captain of our gallant ship
And a valiant man was he
Saying, “For the want of a longboat
We shall sink to the bottom of the sea.”
And up spoke the cookie of our gallant ship
And a gruff old soul was he
Saying, “I care much more for me pots and me pans
Than I do fer the bottom of the sea!”
Then up spoke the boy of our gallant ship
And a well-spoken lad was he.
Saying, “I have a mother in fair Bristol town
And this night she will weep for me.”
The moon gave light and the stars shone bright
And my mother is looking for me
She may look, she may weep with a watery eye
She may look to the bottom of the sea.
Then once around spun our gallant ship
And twice around spun she
And the third time around spun our gallant ship
And she sank to the bottom of the sea
Heave her ho, boys
Let her go, boys
Swing her head round into the weather
Heave her ho, boys
Let her go, boys
Sailin' homeward to Mingulay
What care we though white the Minch is?
What care we, boys, for windy weather
When we know that every inch is
Sailin' homeward to Mingulay
Wives are waiting by the pier-head
Gazing seaward from the heather
Bring around, boys, then we'll anchor
'Ere the sun sets on Mingulay
When the wind is wild with shouting
Ande the waves mount ever higher
Anxious eyes turn ever seaward
To see us home, boys, to mingulay
Ships return now, heavy-laden
Mother's holdin', babes are cryin'
They'll return yet, when the sun sets
Sailin' homeward to Mingulay
Stan Rogers.
Ah, for just one time I would take the Northwest Passage
To find the hand of Franklin reaching for the Beaufort Sea;
Tracing one warm line through a land so wide and savage
And make a Northwest Passage to the sea.
Westward from the Davis Strait ’tis there ’twas said to lie
The sea route to the Orient for which so many died;
Seeking gold and glory, leaving weathered, broken bones,
And a long-forgotten lonely cairn of stones.
Three centuries thereafter, I take passage overland.
In the footsteps of brave Kelso, where his “sea of flowers” began.
Watching cities rise before me, then behind me sink again,
This tardiest explorer, driving hard across the plain.
And through the night, behind the wheel, the mileage clicking west
I think upon Mackenzie, David Thompson and the rest,
Who cracked the mountain ramparts and did show a path for me
To race the roaring Fraser to the sea.
How then am I so different from the first men through this way?
Like them, I left a settled life, I threw it all away.
To seek a Northwest Passage at the call of many men,
To find there but the road back home again.
And if should be I come again to loved ones left at home
Put the journals on the mantle, shake the frost out of my bones
Making memories of the passage, only memories after all
And hardships there the hardest to recall
Peter Bellamy
Of all the trees that grow so fair,
Old England to adorn,
Greater are none beneath the Sun,
Than Oak and Ash and Thorn.
Sing Oak and Ash and Thorn, good Sirs
All of a Midsummer’s morn!
Surely we sing of no little thing,
In Oak and Ash and Thorn!
Oak of the Clay lived many a day,
Or ever Aeneas began;
Ash of the Loam was a lady at home,
When Brut was an outlaw man;
Thorn of the Down saw New Troy Town
(From which was London born);
Witness hereby the ancientry
Of Oak and Ash and Thorn!
Yew that is old in churchyard mould,
He breedeth a mighty bow;
Alder for shoes do wise men choose,
And beech for cups also.
But when ye have killed, and your bowl is spilled,
Your shoes are clean outworn,
Back ye must speed for all that ye need,
To Oak and Ash and Thorn!
Ellum she hates mankind, and waits
Till every gust be laid,
To drop a limb on the head of him,
That anyway trusts her shade:
But whether a lad be sober or sad,
Or mellow with ale from the horn,
He’ll take no wrong when he lieth along
’Neath Oak and Ash and Thorn!
Oh, do not tell the Priest our plight,
Or he would call it a sin;
But—we’ve been out in the woods all night,
A-conjuring Summer in!
And we bring you news by word of mouth –
Good news for cattle and corn –
Now is the Sun come up from the South,
With Oak and Ash and Thorn!
Some friends and I
In a public house
Were playing dominos one night
Into the room the barman came
His face all chalky white
"What's up?" says Brown
"Have you seen a ghost?
Have you seen your Aunt Myriah?"
"Oh my Aunt Myriah be buggered!" said he
"The bloody pub's on fire!"
And there was Brown, upside down
Lickin' up the whiskey off the floor
"Booze! Booze!" the firemen cried
As they came knockin' at the door
Don't let them in till it's all mopped up
Somebody shouted "MacIntyre" (MacIntyre!)
And we all got blue blind paralytic drunk
When the Old Dun Cow caught fire
"On fire!" says Brown
"What a bit of luck
Everybody follow me
Down to the cellar, if the fire's not there
We'll have a rare old spree!"
So we all went down after good old Brown
The booze we could not miss
And we weren't there five minutes or more
'Til we were all half pissed
Then Smith went over
To the port wine tub
Gave it a few hard knocks
Started taken' off his pantaloons
Likewise his shoes and socks
"Hold on!" Says Brown
We can't have that!
"You can't do that in here!
Don't go washin' your trotters
In the port wine tub
When we've got all this Lite beer"
Just then there came an awful crash
Half the bloody roof gave way
We were drowned in the fireman's hose
Still we were going to stay
So we got some tacks
And our old wet slacks
And nailed ourselves inside
And we sat there swallyin'
Pints of stout
Till we were bleary eyed!
There was an old man come over the sea,
Aye, but I’ll not have him.
There was an old man come over the sea,
Come snivelling, snuffling, over on me,
With his long grey beard, with his long grey beard,
A‐shivering and shaking
My mother she told me to bid him come in,
And he giggled and dribbled all over his chin.
My mother she told me to give him a stool,
Well I gave him a stool and he sat like a fool.
My mother she told me to give him some cake,
And the silly old fool wriggled just like a snake.
My mother she told me to pass him the sugar,
And he shivvelled and shovelled it down like a bugger.
My mother she told me to take him to bed,
And the daft old devil nigh stood on his head.
My mother told me to show him what to do,
But the silly old cod couldn’t learn how to screw.
My mother she told me to bid him farewell,
Well I bid him farewell and I wished him in hell.
There was an old man came over the sea,
Came snivelling, snuffling, over on me.
It's a damn tough life, full of toil and strife
We whalermen undergo
And we won't give a damn when the gale is done
How hard the winds do blow
'Cause we're homeward-bound from the Arctic Gound
With a good ship taut and free
And we won't give a damn when we drink our rum
With the girls of Old Maui
Rolling down to Old Maui, me boys
Rolling down to Old Maui
We're homeward-bound from the Arctic Ground
Rolling down to Old Maui
Once more we sail with a Northerly gale
Through the ice, and wind, and rain
Them coconut fronds, them tropical lands
We soon shall see again
Six hellish months we passed away
On the cold Kamchatka sea
But now we're bound from the Arctic ground
Once more we sail with the Northerly gale
Towards our Island home
Our mainmast sprung, our whaling done
And we ain't got far to roam
Our stu'n's'l bones is carried away
What care we for that sound
A living gale is after us
Thank God we're homeward-bound
How soft the breeze through the island trees
Now the ice is far astern
Them native maids, them tropical glades
Is awaiting our return
Even now their big, brown eyes look out
Hoping some fine day to see
Our baggy sails running 'fore the gales
Jack Thakray
Old Molly Metcalfe counting sheep,
Yan tan tether mether pip, she counted.
Up upon Swaledale, steep and bleak,
Yan tan tether mether pip, she said.
Grow, little sheep, come hail, come snow,
Fine warm wool for a gentleman’s shoulder blades,
Over the heather when the weather is cold,
Stiff Molly Metcalfe goes bow-leggedly,
Grow, little sheep, come wind, come rain,
Fine warm wool for a lady’s counterpane,
On her back in the bracken with frozen bones,
Daft Molly Metcalfe singing alone,
Grow, little sheep, come death, come dark,
No such wool for Old Molly Metcalfe,
Ian Woods
It's been a long time since you've seen her
Must have been three years or more.
Will she be waiting when we dock, boy
Or like others will she be gone?
And one more pull boys, that'll do boys
Soon we'll draw alongside.
Hoist her up boys, swing her inboard
For the journey's nearly done.
Well you're looking mighty smart, boy
Dressed up in your number ones
You've scrounged a new blade from the purser
To take the bum-fluff from off your chin.
When we've fixed the bow and stern lines
And you've scuttled down the gangway
If she's waiting there, just kiss her
Then turn around, give us a smile.
For we too will go ashore soon
We'll get drunk in the clubs and bars,
Crawl back on board, boy, pockets empty
Like so many times before.
For a man may take a wife, boy
And that man may have a mistress,
But a sailor has his ship, boy
And his mistress it is the sea.
And one more pull boys, that'll do boys...
For the journey now is done.
Back to top
‘Twas a cold an’ dreary mornin’ in December, (December)
An’ all of me money it was spent (spent, spent),
Where it went to Lord I can’t remember (remember),
So down to the shippin’ office went, (went, went)
Paddy, lay back (Paddy, lay back)!
Take in yer slack (take in yer slack)!
Take a turn around the capstan – heave a pawl – heave a pawl!
‘Bout ship, stations, boys, be handy (be handy)!
We’re bound for Valaparaiser ’round the Horn!
In that day there wuz a great demand for sailors
For the Colonies and for ‘Frisco and for France
So I shipped aboard a Limey barque, the Hotspur
An’ got paralytic drunk on my advance
It was on the quarterdeck where first I saw ’em,
Such an ugly bunch I’d niver seen afore;
For there wuz bum an’ stiff from every quarter,
It made me poor ol’ heart feel sick an’ sore.
There wuz Rooshians an’ Dutchmen an’ Spaniards,
An’ Johnny Crapoos jist acrost from France;
Oh, none could hardly speak a word o’ English,
But answered to the name of ‘Month’s Advance’.
I wisht I wuz in the ‘Jolly Sailor’,
Along with Irish Kate a-drinkin’ beer;
An’ then I thought what jolly chaps were sailors,
An’ with me flipper I wiped away a tear.
So here we are, once more again at sea, boys,
The same ol’ ruddy story over again;
Oh, stamp the around the capstan, give a cheer, boys,
An’ sing again this beautiful refrain.
From Derry quay we sailed away on the 23rd of May
We were boarded by a pleasant crew bound for Americay
Fresh water we did take on 5000 gallons or more
In case we'd run short going to New York
From Paddy's green shamrock shore
So it's fare thee well sweet Liza dear
and likewise to Derry town
And twice farewell to my comrades bold
who dwell on that sainted ground
If fortune should ever favor me and
I should have money in store
I'd come back and I'd wed the wee lassie I left
On Paddy's green shamrock shore
We sailed 3 days we were all seasick not a man on board was free
We were all confined to our bunks and no one to pity poor me
No father dear nor mother kind to hold up my head it was sore
Which made me think more on the lassie I left
On Paddy's green shamrock shore
We safely reached the other shore after 3 and twenty days
We were taken as passengers by a man and led round in 6 different ways
We each of us drank a parting glass in case we might never meet more
And we drank a toast to Old Ireland
And Paddy's green shamrock shore
Of all the money that e'er I had,
I spent it in good company
And of all the harm that e'er I've done,
alas it was to none but me
And all I've done for want of wit,
to memory now I can't recall
So fill to me the parting glass
Goodnight and joy be to you all
Of all the comrades that e'er I had,
they're sorry for my going away
And all the sweethearts that e'er I had,
they would wish me one more day to stay
But since it falls unto my lot
that I should rise and you should not
I'll gently rise and I'll softly call,
"Goodnight and joy be to you all!"
If I had money enough to spend
And leisure time to sit awhile
There is a fair maid in this town
That sorely has my heart beguiled.
Her rosy cheeks and ruby lips
I own she has my heart in thrall
Then fill to me the parting glass
Good night and joy be with you all.
Oh, there're sober men aplenty
And drunkards barely twenty
There are men of over ninety
That have never yet kissed a girl
But give me a ramblin' rover
Frae Orkney down to Dover
We will roam the country over
And together we'll face the world
I've roamed through all the nations
In delight of all creations
And enjoyed a wee sensation
Where the company, it was kind
And when partin' was no pleasure
I've drunk another measure
To the good friends that we treasure
For they always are in our mind
There's many that feign enjoyment
From merciless employment
Their ambition was this deployment
From the minute they left the school
And they save and scrape and ponder
While the rest go out and squander
See the world and rove and wander
And are happier as a rule
If you're bent wi' arthiritis
Your bowels have got Colitis
You've gallopin' bollockitis
And you're thinkin' it's time you died
If you been a man o' action
Though you're lying there in traction
You will get some satisfaction
Thinkin', "Jesus, at least I tried."
Now we are ready to head for the Horn
Way, hey, roll an' go!
Our boots and our clothes, boys, are all in the pawn
To me rollickin' randy dandy O!
Heave a pawl, heave away,
Way, hey, roll an' go!
The anchor’s on board and the cable’s all stored
To me rollickin' randy dandy O!
Man the stout caps'n and heave with a will
Soon we'll be drivin' her 'way up the hill
Heave away, bullies, ye parish-rigged bums
Take yer hands from yer pockets and don't suck yer thumbs
Soon we’ll be warping her out through the locks
Where the pretty young girls all come down in their frocks.
Sing goodbye to Sally and goodbye to Sue
For we are the bullies that can kick her through.
Come breast the bar, bullies, heave her away
Soon we’ll be rolling her ‘way down the bay.
Roust ‘er up, bullies, the wind’s drawing free
Let’s get the glad rags up and drive ‘er to sea.
The Longest Johns
I've been roaming all my life and now I've found a lady wife
I'm staying right here!
Oh, I won't go sailing any more, I won't obey the ocean's call
I'm staying right here!
I'll be a man of the land
I'll be a man of the trees
I'll be a man wherever my woman will be
I won't be any captain's mate
I won't be servant of the seas
'Cause this pretty little woman is all I need
At 14 I was cabin boy to fearsome Captain Buckleroy
When I was sick he ordered cat o' nine until I said that I felt fine
At 20 I manned our crow's nest and captain said I was the best
But I almost lost my eyes to God just lookin' out for old Cape Cod
At 25 no man alive could match my skill for gunnin'
But the captain he got drunk one night and broke the blasted cannon
Captain died at 28 and by then I was his first mate
Oh, they tried to give me his command but I was hungry for the land
I jumped aboard at Felixstowe and made for Bristol down the road
Oh, I fell in love when first I saw her, Avon County's finest daughter
Fourwinds
So here’s to the boys who are happy and gay
Singing and dancing and tearing away
Rollicksome, frollicksome, frisky and free
We’re the rollicking boys around Tandragee
Bad luck to ye all by’s barring the cat
That sits in the corner there smelling a rat
And wheesht your philandering girls and behave
And sparing a moment, I’ll chant you a stave
I come from the land where the pritties grow big
And the girls neat and handy dance a fine jig
The boys they would charm your poor hearts for to see
For they’re rare and fine fellers ‘round Tandragee
No doubt you have heard of Killarney I’m sure
And sweet Innishowen for a drop of the pure
Dublin’s the place for the strawberry beds
Or Donnybrook Fair for the cracking of heads
Have you e’er seen an Irishman dancing palltog
How he faces his partner and turns up his brogue
He shakes at the buckle and bends at the knee
The rare and fine dancers in Tandragee
Now the oul jaunting car is an elegant joult
And Derry’s a place that is famed for a hoult
Among the green bushes that grow in Tyrone
And the County Fermanagh for muscle and bone
But for feasting and dancing and fun at the fair
Sure there’s no one can match with the Rakes of Kildare
Green Ireland’s the country, the gem of the sea
But the gem of oul Ireland is Tandragee
Tell me where is the man, either Christian or Turk
Could equal the bold Robert Emmett or Burke
O where is the lawyer can speak up like Dan
The devil another, bad luck to the one
And where is the singer can sing like Tom Moore
Whose melodies charm all dull thoughts from your door
But we’ll beat them all yet boys, and that you will see
For we’re raring fine dancers round Tandragee
I'm on me way down to the quay
Where the ship at anchor lays
To command a gang of navvies there
They told me to engage
I thought I'd drop in for a drink before I sailed away
For to take a trip on an immigrant ship
To the shores of Botany Bay
Farewell to your bricks and mortar
Farewell to your dirty lime
Farewell to your gangway and your gangplank
And to hell with your overtime
For the good ship, ragamuffin
She's lying at the quay
For to take old Pat with a shovel on his back
To the shores of Botany Bay
The best years of our lives we spent working on the docks
Building mighty wharves and piers from earth and ballast rocks
Our pensions keep our jobs secure
But I won't rue the day
When I'll take a trip on an immigrant ship
To the shores of Botany Bay
The boss came up this morning
And he says, "Well, Pat, you know
That if you don't mix that mortar quick
I'm afraid you'll have to go"
Well, of course he did insult me
So I demanded all me pay
And I told him straight I was going to emigrate
To the shores of Botany Bay
And when I reach Australia
I'll go and search for golds
There's plenty there for digging up
Or so I have been told
And when I've made me fortune
There'll be no more bricks to lay
I'll take me ease doing what I please
On the shores of Botany Bay
Sir Harold Edward Boulton
Speed, bonnie boat, like a bird on the wing,
Onward! the sailors cry;
Carry the lad that's born to be king
Over the sea to Skye.
Loud the winds howl, loud the waves roar,
Thunderclaps rend the air;
Baffled, our foes stand by the shore,
Follow they will not dare.
Many's the lad, fought in that day
Well the claymore did wield;
When the night came, silently lay
Dead on Culloden's field.
Though the waves leap, soft shall ye sleep,
Ocean's a royal bed.
Rocked in the deep, Flora will keep
Watch by your weary head.
Burned are their homes, exile and death
Scatter the loyal men;
Yet ere the sword cool in the sheath
Charlie will come again.
We come on the sloop John B
My grandfather and me
Around Nassau town we did roam
Drinkin' all night got into a fight
Well, I feel so broke up I wanna go home
So hoist up the John B's sail
See how the mainsail sets
Call for the captain ashore, let me go home
Let me go home
I wanna go home, yeah, yeah
Well, I feel so broke up
I wanna go home
The first mate, he got drunk
And broke in the captain's trunk
The constable had to come and take him away
Sheriff John Stone, why don't you leave me alone? Yeah, yeah
Well, I feel so broke up I wanna go home
The poor cook, he caught the fits
And threw away all my grits
And then he took and he ate up all of my corn
Let me go home, why don't they let me go home?
This is the worst trip I've ever been on
Ralph McTell
Have you seen the old man in the closed down market
Kicking up the paper with his worn out shoes
In his eyes you see no pride and held loosely by his side
Yesterday's paper telling yesterday's news
So how can you tell me you're lonely
And say for you that the sun don't shine
Let me take you by the hand and lead you through the streets of London
I'll show you something to make you change your mind
Have you seen the old girl who walks the streets of London
Dirt in her hair and her clothes in rags
She's no time for talking, She just keeps right on walking
Carrying her home in two carrier bags
In the all night cafe at a quarter past eleven
Same old man sitting there on his own
Looking at the world over the rim of his teacup
And each tea lasts an hour and he wanders home alone
Have you seen the old man outside the seamen's mission
Memory fading with the medal ribbons that he wears
And in our winter city the rain cries a little pity
For one more forgotten hero and a world that doesn't care
I'll tell me ma when I come home
the boys won't leave the girls alone
they pull me hair and stole my comb
well that's alright till I come home
She is handsome she is pretty
she's the belle of Belfast city
she's a courtin' one two three
please won't you tell me who is she
Albert Mooney says he loves her
all the boys are fightin' for her
knock at the door and ring at the bell
tell me oh you true love "are you well"
out she comes as white as snow
rings on her fingers bells on her toes
old Johnny Murray say's she'll die
if she doesn't get the fellow with the roving eye
Let the wind and the rain and the hail blow high
the snow come tumblin' from the sky
she's as fine as apple pie
she'll get own own love by and by
when she gets a lad of her own
she won't tell her mom when she comes home
let them all come as you will
it's Patrick Murphy she loves still
She is handsome she is pretty
she's the belle of Belfast city
she's a courtin' one two three
please won't you tell me who is she
Broomhall, Thompson
Time is a tempest and we are all travellers
We are all travellers, we are all travellers
Time is a tempest and we are all travellers
Travelling through the storm.
Our cities are crowded, our forests are falling
War clouds above, angry voices are calling
Five minutes to midnight, there's no time for stalling
It's time to share our load.
So lift up your voices and sing of the wind and rain
Sing of the wind and rain, sing of the wind and rain
Lift up your voices and sing of the wind and rain
Travelling through the storm.
Time is a Tempest...
They’ve poisoned the oceans, they’ve dammed the great rivers
They’ve killed all the Jungles, they’re takers not givers
They call it progress, well it gives me the shivers
We’re in for a winter that’s cold
So, brothers and sisters, we’ll join hands together
With love in our struggle we’ll face the foul weather
And when the sun shines, under blue skies we’ll gather
Our Journey will take us home
Soaring skywards, leaping sideways
Do or die words cleave the air
Joy and laughter, mornings after
Raise the rafters, we don't care
If the roof's beyond repair
Raise the rafters, raise the rafters
Raise the rafters, we don't care
If the roof's beyond repair
Sisters, brothers, to all others
Let this be our guiding star
Hearts on fire but no Messiah
Hear the music from afar
What we sing is what we are
Hear the music, hear the music
Hear the music from afar
What we sing is what we are
Over hills and over valleys
Over mountains, over seas
Nations shouting unto nations
Until nations cease to be
Unison in harmony
Until nations, until nations
Until nations cease to be
Unison in harmony
Until nations, until nations
Until nations cease to be
Unison in harmony
Old Crow Medicine Show
Headin' down south to the land of the pines
I'm thumbin' my way into North Caroline
Starin' up the road and pray to God I see headlights
I made it down the coast in seventeen hours
Pickin' me a bouquet of dogwood flowers
And I'm a-hopin' for Raleigh, I can see my baby tonight
So, rock me mama like a wagon wheel
Rock me mama any way you feel
Hey... mama rock me
Rock me mama like the wind and the rain
Rock me mama like a southbound train
Hey... mama rock me
Runnin' from the cold up in New England
I was born to be a fiddler in an old time string band
My baby plays a guitar, I pick a banjo now
Oh, north country winters keep a-gettin' me down
Lost my money playin' poker, so I had to leave town
But I ain't a-turnin' back to livin' that old life no more
Walkin' to the south out of Roanoke
I caught a trucker out of Philly, had a nice long toke
But he's a-headin' west from the Cumberland Gap
To Johnson City, Tennessee
And I gotta get a move on before the sun
I hear my baby callin' my name and I know that she's the only one
And if I died in Raleigh, at least I will die free
Jolly Rogers
Westering home with a song in the air
Light of me eye and it's goodbye to care
Laughter and love are a welcoming there
Pride of me heart my own love
Tell me a tale of the orient gay
Tell me of riches that come from Cathay
Ah but it’s grand to be waken at day
And find oneself nearer to Isla
Where are the folks like the folks of the west
Canty and couthy and kindly, our best
There I would hide me and there I would rest
At home with my own folks in Isla
Now I'm at home and at home I do lay
Dreaming of riches that come from Cathay
I'll hop a good ship and be on my way
And bring back my fortune to Isla
Oh, the summer time is coming,
And the trees are sweetly blooming,
And the wild mountain thyme
Grows around the blooming heather.
Will ye go, lassie, go?
And we'll all go together
To pull wild mountain thyme
All around the blooming heather,
Will ye go, lassie, go?
I will build my love a bower
By yon clear and crystal fountain,
And all around the bower,
I'll pile flowers from the mountain.
I will roam the country o'er
Through that dark land so dreary;
And all the spoils I find,
I'll bring to my darling dearie.
If my true love, she won't have me,
I will surely find another
To pull wild mountain thyme
All around the blooming heather.
Rita Macneil
It's a working man I am and I've been down underground
And I swear to God if I ever see the sun
Over any length of time, I can hold it in my mind
I never again will go down underground
At the age of sixteen years, he quarreled with his peers
And he swears there will never be another on
In the dark recess of the mine, where you age before your time
And the coal dust lies heavy on your lungs
At the age of sixty-four, he'll greet you at the door
And he'll gently lead you by the arm
In the dark recess of the mine, he can take you back in time
Tell you of the hardships that were there
No, I never again will go down underground