We shipped on board the Maryanne
To find a better life
And we walked across the water

When she broke up on the ice
We came ashore in Carbonear
With nothing but our rights

And I wondered if I e'er again
Would see my London lights


We were far from the shores of England
Far from our children and wives
To play our hand in the Newfoundland

Where the wind cuts like a knife
We were far from the shores of England
Far from our native soil

To chase a wish and hunt the Fish
And on the rocks to toil
We were far from the shores of England


We spend our days amid the waves
Working water, hook and twine

We would go for weeks with blistered cheeks
Waiting for the sun to shine
But as long as the sky hold over us

We will not taste the brine
And we'll curse the cod
With the fear of God

As we haul in every line

Should we find Fortune's Favour

And be spared from the gale
We will live off honest labour
With our hearts as big as sails

But if I should die don't bury me
Or leave me to the sea
Please send my bones back to my home

Where my spirit can be free