Great Big Sea Album

Come and I will sing you.
What will you sing me?
I will sing you one-o.
What will the one be?
One the one that's all alone and ever more will be, so...

Come and I will sing you.
What will you sing me?
I will sing you two-o.
What will the two be?
Two of them are lily-white babes, clothed all in green-o,
One, the one, lives all alone and ever more shall be, so...

Come and I will sing you.
What will you sing me?
I will sing you three-o.
What will the three be?
Three of them are drivers,
Two of them are lily-white babes, clothed all in green-o,
One, the one, lives all alone and ever more shall be, so...

Come and I will sing you.
What will you sing me?
I will sing you four-o.
What will the four be?
Four gospel preachers,
Three of them are drivers,
Two of them are lily-white babes, clothed all in green-o,
One, the one, lives all alone and ever more shall be, so...

Come and I will sing you.
What will you sing me?
I will sing you five-o.
What will the five be?
Five ferrymen under the bush,
Four gospel preachers,
Three of them are drivers,
Two of them are lily-white babes, clothed all in green-o,
One, the one, lives all alone and ever more shall be, so...

Come and I will sing you.
What will you sing me?
I will sing you six-o.
What will the six be?
Six, the six pallbearers,
Five ferrymen under the bush,
Four gospel preachers,
Three of them are drivers,
Two of them are lily-white babes, clothed all in green-o,
One, the one, lives all alone and ever more shall be, so...

Come and I will sing you.
What will you sing me?
I will sing you seven-o.
What will the seven be?
Seven, seven stars under the sky,
Six, the six pallbearers,
Five ferrymen under the bush,
Four gospel preachers,
Three of them are drivers,
Two of them are lily-white babes, clothed all in green-o,
One, the one, lives all alone and ever more shall be, so...

Come and I will sing you.
What will you sing me?
I will sing you eight-o.
What will the eight be?
Eight Gabriel angels,
Seven, seven stars under the sky,
Six, the six pallbearers,
Five ferrymen under the bush,
Four gospel preachers,
Three of them are drivers,
Two of them are lily-white babes, clothed all in green-o,
One, the one, lives all alone and ever more shall be, so...

Come and I will sing you.
What will you sing me?
I will sing you nine-o.
What will the nine be?
Nine bright-eyed shiners,
Eight Gabriel angels,
Seven, seven stars under the sky,
Six, the six pallbearers,
Five ferrymen under the bush,
Four gospel preachers,
Three of them are drivers,
Two of them are lily-white babes, clothed all in green-o,
One, the one, lives all alone and ever more shall be, so...

Come and I will sing you.
What will you sing me?
I will sing you ten-o.
What will the ten be?
Ten, ten Commandments,
Nine bright-eyed shiners,
Eight Gabriel angels,
Seven, seven stars under the sky,
Six, the six pallbearers,
Five ferrymen under the bush,
Four gospel preachers,
Three of them are drivers,
Two of them are lily-white babes, clothed all in green-o,
One, the one, lives all alone and ever more shall be, so...

Come and I will sing you.
What will you sing me?
I will sing you eleven-o.
What will the eleven be?
Eleven is the eleven that went straight to heaven,
Ten, ten Commandments,
Nine bright-eyed shiners,
Eight Gabriel angels,
Seven, seven stars under the sky,
Six, the six pallbearers,
Five ferrymen under the bush,
Four gospel preachers,
Three of them are drivers,
Two of them are lily-white babes, clothed all in green-o,
One, the one, lives all alone and ever more shall be, so...

Come and I will sing you.
What will you sing me?
I will sing you twelve-o.
What will the twelve be?
Twelve, twelve apostles,
Eleven is the eleven that went straight to heaven,
Ten, ten Commandments,
Nine bright-eyed shiners,
Eight Gabriel angels,
Seven, seven stars under the sky,
Six, the six pallbearers,
Five ferrymen under the bush,
Four gospel preachers,
Three of them are drivers,
Two of them are lily-white babes, clothed all in green-o,
One, the one, lives all alone and ever more shall be, so...
One, the one, lives all alone and ever more shall be, so...

Old polina

There's a noble fleet o' whalers sailin' from Dundee
men by British sailors to take them o'er the sea
on a western ocean passage we started on the trip
we flew along just like a song on a galleon whalin' ship

Twas the second Sunday morning just after leaving port
we met a heavy south-west gale that washed away our boat
it washed away our quarter deck our 'stensions just as well
and so we sent the whole she-bang a floatin in the gale

Chorus:
For the wind was on her quarter the engine's workin free
there's not another whaler that sails the arctic sea
can beat the old polina ye need not try me sons
we challenged all both great and small from Dundee to St. john's

Our jackman set his canvas for Willard gallop stein
and captain Guy the daring by' came plungin' through the stream
and Mullins' in the husky tried to beat the bloody lot
but to beat the Old Polina boys was something he could not

Chorus

There's the noble terra nova a model without doubt
the arctic and aurora they talk so much about
our jackman's model nailboat the terror of the sea
try to beat the old polina on a passage from Dundee

Chorus

Now we're back in old st. john's where rum is very cheap
we'll drink a health to captain guy who brought us o'er the deep
a health to all our sweethearts and to our wives so fair
not another ship could make the trip, the Polina I declare!

Chorus x2

I was just the age of sixteen
When I first went on the drive
After six months hard labour
At home I did arrive
And courted with a pretty girl
'Twas her caused me to roam
Now I'm a River Driver and I'm far away from home

CHORUS:
I'll eat when I am hungry
And I'll drink when I am dry
Get drunk whenever I'm ready
Get sober by and by
And if the river don't drown me
It's down I'll need to roam
For I'm a River Driver and I'm far away from home

I'll build a lonesome castle
Upon some mountain high
Where she can sit an view me
As I go passin' by
Where she can sit an view me
As I go marchin' on
For I'm a River Driver and I'm far away from home

CHORUS

When I am old and feeble
And in my sickness lie
Just wrap me up in a blanket
And lay me down to die
Just get a little bluebird
To sing for me alone
For I'm a River Driver and I'm far away from home

CHOTUS x2

For I'm a River Driver and I'm far away from home

The Mermaid by Great Big Sea
When I was a lad in a fishin' town
My old man said to me:
"You can spend your life, your jolly life
Just sailin' on the sea.
You can search the world for pretty girls
Til your eyes grow weak and dim,
But don't go searchin' for a mermaid, son
If you don't know how to swim"
(course)
'Cause her hair was green as seaweed
Her skin was blue and pale
Her face, it was a work of art, I loved that girl with all my heart
I only liked the upper part
I did not like the tail
I signed onto a sailing ship
My first very day at sea
I seen the mermaid in the waves,
Reaching out to me
"Come live with me in the sea said she,
Down on the ocean floor
And I'll show you a million wonderous things,
you've never seen before
So over I jumped and she pulled me down,
Down to her seaweed bed
And a pillow made of tortoise-shell
She placed beneath my head
She fed me shrimp and caviar
Upon a silver dish
From her head to her waist it was just my taste
But the rest of her was a fish
(course)
Then one day, she swam away
So I sang to the clams and the whales
"Oh, how I miss her seaweed hair
And the silver shine of her scales
But then her sister, she swam by
Set my heart awhirl
'Cause her upper part was an ugly fish
An er bottom part was a girl
Yes her hair was green as seaweed
Her skin was blue and pale, her legs they are a work of art
I love that girl with all my heart
And I don't give a damn bout the upper part
'Cause that's how I get my tail

CHORUS:
My name is Captain Kidd
As I sailed, as I sailed
Oh, my name is Captain Kidd
As I sailed
My name is Captain Kidd
And God's law's I did forbid
And most wickedly I did
As I sailed

My father taught me well
To shun the gates of hell
But against him I rebelled
As I sailed
He shoved the Bible in my hand
But I left it in the sand
And I pulled away from land
As I sailed

CHORUS

I murdered William Moore
And I left him in his gore
Many leagues away from shore
As I sailed
And being crueler still
The gunner I did kill
Oh, his prescious blood did spill
As I sailed

CHORUS

I was sick and nigh to death
And I vowed at every breath
Oh, to walk in wisdom's path
As I sailed
But my repentance lasted not
My vows I soon forgot
Oh, damnation is my lot
As I sailed

CHORUS

To the Execution Dock
Lay my head upon the block
Alas no more I'll mock
As I sailed
So take warning here and heed
And shun bad company
Or you'll wind up just like me
As I sailed

CHORUS

Fancy brings a thought to me
Of flowers bright and fair
Grace and beauty there combine
To make that thought more rare
Like a maiden that I know
Who shared my happy lot
Where we parted when she whispered
"You'll forget me not"

CHORUS:
She's graceful and she's charming like the lilies in the pond
Time has passed so swiftly for of her I'm so fond
Daisies and the roses too, they grow around the spot
There we parted and I whispered, "You'll forget me not"

We met I really don't know where
But still 'tis all the same
For love walks in busy streets
As well as in the lane
I gently pressed her timy hand
She glanced at me a shot
She dropped a flower, I picked it up
A sweet forget-me-not

CHORUS

At last there came a happy day
And something that I said
Just caused her lips to murmer, "Yes"
And shortly we were wed
A little garden by the brook
And a tiny garden spot
Where grows a little flower called
A sweet forget-mr-not

CHORUS

Concerning Charlie horse

Come all ye friends i'll sit ya down and sing an doleful ditty
twas on a day in April month we started from the city
we planned a day or two at most we stalwart men were chosen
to remove ol' Charlie from Angle pond
who fell in when the pond was frozen

We seven men came roarin down on the road to Roach's line
we might have stopped in Avondale or Brigus might have been fine
we was hungry as sin but we never stopped in
nor took any time to park us cause we all of us knew that we must get through to remove ol' charlie's carcus

Chorus;
Here's to Charlie horse and here's to shave the master
no better horse here ran the course or pulled the logs more faster
here's to Charlie horse and he wants ye all to know
charlie's gone to the big corral, where all good horses go

In the car there was old Pa Metcomb, and beside him Al was coastin'
and Barret boudabile and jimmy marc in the backseat he was roastin there was Smiley stubborn on the mounted police
it wasn't hard to find him and Johnny Pollock
and Sage Bresain was sittin right in behind him

Kevin and Buck was also there for they brought some braun and brains they was aimin to help as best the could to remove ol' chuck's remains Charlie was like a brother to shave and he loved him well of course Charlie was a very good man you see although he'd been a horse

Chorus

Now ill spare you all the gruesome details and just relate the end
with two stout dories and a few strong ropes
we removed old shavey's friend we gave him a decent sendoff
with all our hats removed
to off we send ol Shave and his friend our loyalty was proved

Somewhere up in the great beyond his eyes are shining bright
Charlie nods an approving nod cause he knows we did him right
Shave will join him there one and he'll bring the harness leather
and so unto all eternity they'll pull the logs together

chorus

Harbour Lecou

As I rowed ashore from my schooner closeby
a girl on the beach sure I chance to espy
her hair it was red and her bonnet was blue
her place of abode was in harbour lecou

Oh boldy I asked her to walk on the sand
she smiled like an angel and held out her hand
so I buttoned me gurnsy and hove way me chew
in the dark rollin waters of harbour lecou

My ship she lay anchored far out on the tide
as I strode along with that maid on my side
I told her I loved her I said Id be true
and I winked at the moon over harbour lecou

As we walked on the sands at the close of the day
I thought of my wife who was home in Torbay
I knew that she'd kill me if she only knew
I was courting this lassie in harbour lecou

As we passed a log cabin that stood on the shore
I met an old comrade I sailed with before
he treated me kindly, saying jack how are you?
Its seldom I see you in harbour lecou

And as I was parting this maiden in tow
he broke up my party with one single blow
he said regards to your mrs and your wee kiddies too
I remember her well she's from harbour lecou

I looked at this damsel a standin 'long side
her jaw it just dropped and her mouth opened wide
and then like she-cat upon me she flew
and I fled from the furies of harbour lecou

So come all ye young sailors who walk on the shore
beware of old comrades you sailed with before
beware of the maidens with the bonnets of blue
and the pretty young damsels of harbour lecou.
And the pretty young damsels of harbour lecou.

Tishialuk girls are neat and tidy, Tishialuk girls it won't last long,
Tishialuk girls they will be useful when Sam Cove is dead and gone.

Aunt Rae wants me to wed her daughter, takes me from my heart's delight,
Give me a girl from down in Tishialuk , shines in the eyes like diamonds bright.

Tishialuk girls are neat and tidy, Tishialuk girls it won't last long,
Tishialuk girls they will be useful when Sam Cove is dead and gone.

French Shore

When I was a young man, just barely 14
craving adventure and lore
I boarded a clipper me dad was a skipper
and sailed it along the French shore ya,
we sailed all along the French shore

What beautiful vessels were sailing back then
ah bound for the north labradour
its over that reason they came here that season
to sail all along the French shore ya
to sail all along the French shore

On each ship a maiden was hired to cook
a beautiful girl to adore so young and cavorting
all ready for courting while sailing along the French shore ya, while sailing along the French shore

Being too young for courting I soon did decide
to spy on the lovers on shore I spied on a couple
so loving and supple, while sailing along the French shore ya, while sailing along the French shore

Their actions peculiar appeared to me then
but now their not funny no more
they were huggin and kissin' oh what ive been missin,
while sailing along the French shore ya, while sailing along, sailing along, while sailing along the French shore

That couple has children now married I know
you see they're not young anymore
yet still they don't know how I witnessed the show
that they played all along the French shore ya, that they played all along the French shore

And that ends the story of my bonnie days
oh that I could live them once more
and this much I know id produce my own show, and id stage it along the French shore ya, while sailin along, sailin along, while sailin along, sailing along, while sailin along the French shore

Cod liver oil

Im a young married man and im tired of life
ten years ive been wed to a pale sickly wife
she's nothing to do only sit there and cry
prayin and prayin to god she would die

A friend of my own came to see me one day
he told me my wife she was pining the way
he afterwards told me that she would get strong
if I get a bottle from dear Dr. John

Chorus;
Oh doctor oh doctor oh dear doctor john
your cod liver oil is so pure and so strong
im afraid of my life ill go down in the soil
if me wife don't stop drinkin your cod liver oil

I bought her a bottle well just for to try
and the way that she drank it ya think she might die
I bought her another it vanished the same
and then she got cod liver oil on the brain

I bought her another she drank it no doubt
and then she began to get terrible stout
and when she got stout well of course she got strong
and I became jealous oh dear doctor john

Chorus

Me house it resembles a great doctor shop
its covered in bottles from bottom to top
well early the morning the kettle does boil
you would swear it was singing of cod liver oil

Chorus x2

In cuttin' and haulin', in frost and in snow
We're up against troubles that few people know
It's only by courage and patience and grit
And eatin' plain food that we keep ourselves fit

The hard and the easy we take as they come
And when ponds freeze over we shorten our runs
To hurry my haulin' with spring coming on
I near lost me a mare out on Tickle Cove Pond

CHORUS:
Lay hold William Oldford, lay hold William White
Lay hold of the cordage and pull all your might
Lay hold of the bowline and pull all you can
And give me a lift with poor Kit on the pond

I knew that the ice grew weaker each day
But still I took risk and kept haulin' away
One evening in April bound home with a load
My mare showed some halting against the ice road

She knew more than I did as matters tunred out
And lucky for me had I joined her in doubt
She turned round her head with tears in her eyes
As if she was sayin', "You're risking our lives"

All this I ignores with a whip handle blow
For man is a stupid dumb creature you know
At the very next moment the pond gave a sigh
And up to our necks when poor Kitty and I

CHORUS

And if I had taken wise Kitty's advice
I ne'er would have made that short cut on the ice
Poor creature she's dead, poor creature she's gone
I'll ne'er get my mare out of Tickle Cove Pond

But I raised an alarm you could hear for a mile
And neighbours showed up in a very short while
You can always rely on the Olfords and Whites
To render assistance in all your bad plights

To help a kind neighbour is part of their lives
The same can be said for their childten and wives

And with the rope fastened around the mare's breast
William White for a shanty song made a request
There was no time for thinkin', no time for delay
Straight from his heart came this song right away

CHORUS

Lay hold William Oldford, lay hold William White
Lay hold of the cordage and pull all your might
Lay hold of the bowline and pull all you can
And with that we took Kit out of Tickle Cove Pond