List of Songs Not on a CD ~ Songs of Mike Kennedy Home Page
MP3 - Complete (rough draft) ~ Notes
Chorus to Mingalay Boat Song
We’re the last turtle backs working out of the harbor
With seine nets, ring nets, and trawl
And there’s those that will tell you the fishing is over
But don’t look for us working on shore.
Where once we were many, now we are few
We still work the old boats our grandfathers knew
So we’ll let you know when the fishing is done
For we’re the sons of fishermen sons.
Work is hard and the hours are long
It’s in after dark and out before dawn
If the catch has been good, we’ll come in with a song
A song of fishermen’ sons
Out off the headlands the outcrops are standing
Guardians carved from the stone
Keeping their vigil they watch ore the lakes
Down thru these many years gone.
Stalwart and steadfast ,embodied with pride
Resisting the changes of time and the tides
Their face s are lined by the waves and the wind
We say, "They must be fishermen’ sons."
The scud from the factories flows out o’er the waters
Lining the shore with its foam
We’ve taken our harvests and never gave back
The blame we must take as our own
Still it’s out thru the break in the calm or the squall
Take in the gill nets and let out the tow
Bring in the nets though the catch may be small
It’s hard times for fishermen’ sons
Break
I’ve lived all my life here, learned on the waters
To read the currents and sky
And changes are need, then changes there’ll be
Were not here to watch our lakes die.
As the gull of the harbor circle the beach
Rise off the headlands and call from the reach
As they’ve called to our fathers , they call to our sons
Sons of fishermen’ sons .
Work is hard and the hours are long
It’s in after dark and out before dawn
If the catch has been good, we’ll come in with a song
A song of fishermen’ sons
Chorus to Mingalay Boat Song
Repeat Chorus
Composed by Mike Kennedy, ©2011, recorded 1/24/11