The Fishermen's Song / Lament For The Fisherman's Wife lyrics

By the storm-torn shoreline a woman is standing

The spray strung like jewels in her hair

And the sea tore the rocks near the desolate landing

as though it had known she stood there

For she had come down to condemn that wild ocean

For the murderous loss of her man

His boat sailed out on Wednesday morning

And it's feared she's gone down with all hands

Oh and white were the wave-caps

And wild was their parting

So fierce is the warring of love

But she prayed to the gods

Both of men and of sailors

Not to cast their cruel nets o'er her love

Now she had come down to condemn that wild ocean

For the murderous loss of her man

His boat sailed out on Wednesday morning

And it's feared she's gone down with all hands

There's a school on the hill

Where the sons of dead fathers

Are led toward tempests and gales

Where their God-given wings

Are clipped close to their bodies

And their eyes are bound-'round with ships' sails

And she had come down to condemn that wild ocean

For the murderous loss of her man

His boat sailed out on Wednesday morning

And it's feared she's gone down with all hands

What force leads a man

To a life filled with danger

High on seas or a mile underground?

It's when need is his master

And poverty's no stranger

And there's no other work to be found

For she had come down to condemn that wild ocean

For the murderous loss of her man

His boat sailed out on Wednesday morning

And it's feared she's gone down with all hands