Sea Shanty - 1880 Storm

YouTube song here

Me thinks I see a host of craft spreading their sails to lea

As down the Humber they do glide all bound for the northern sea

Me thinks I see on each small craft a crew with hearts so brave

Going out to earn their daily bread upon the restless waves

Chorus:

And its three score and ten boys and men were lost from Grimsby town

From Yarmouth down to Scarborough many hundreds more were drowned

Our herring crafts, our trawlers, our fishing smacks as well

They long defied that bitter night and battled with the swell


Me thinks I see them yet again as they leave the land behind

Casting their nets into the sea the fishing shoals to find

Me thinks I see them yet again and all on boards alright

with the sails close reefed and the decks cleared up and the sidelights burning bright


October's night left such a sight was never seen before

There were spars and shafts and broken yards come floating to the shore

There was many a heart of sorrow, there was many a heart so brave

There was many a hearty fisher lad did find a watery grave


Me thinks I hear the skipper say come lads come shorten sail

For the sky to all appearances looks like an approaching gale

Me thinks I see them yet again and the midnight hour is past

Their tiny crafts a battling their against the lay blast

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