How still lies the bay in the bright western airs
Which blow from the crimson horizon
Once more we tack home with a dry empty hold
Saving gas with the breezes so fair
She's a kindly Cape Isander, old, but still sound
But so lost in the longliner's shadow
Make and break, and make do, but the fish are so few
That she won't be replaced should she founder

It's so hard not to think of before the big war
When the cod were so cheap and so plenty
Foreign trawlers go by now with long-seeing eyes
Taking all, where we seldom take any
And so the young folk don't stay with the fisherman's way
Long ago, they all moved to the cities
And the ones left behind, old, tired, and blind
Can't work for "a pound or a penny".

Lord Nelson knew the perfect way to cure your 'mal-de-mer',
So if you pay attention, his secret I will share,
To any sea-sick sailor he'd give this advice for free:
"If you're feeling sea-sick, sit underneath a tree!"

(chorus)

She went down last October in a pouring driving rain.
The skipper, he'd been drinking and the Mate, he felt no pain.
Too close to Three Mile Rock, and she was dealt her mortal blow,
And the Mary Ellen Carter settled low.
There were five of us aboard her when she finally was awash.
We'd worked like hell to save her, all heedless of the cost.
And the groan she gave as she went down, it caused us to proclaim
That the Mary Ellen Carter would rise again.

Well, the owners wrote her off; not a nickel would they spend.
She gave twenty years of service, boys, then met her sorry end.
But insurance paid the loss to them, they let her rest below.
Then they laughed at us and said we had to go.
But we talked of her all winter, some days around the clock,
For she's worth a quarter million, afloat and at the dock.
And with every jar that hit the bar, we swore we would remain
And make the Mary Ellen Carter rise again.

Rise again, rise again, that her name not be lost
To the knowledge of men.
Those who loved her best and were with her till the end
Will make the Mary Ellen Carter rise again.

All spring, now, we've been with her on a barge lent by a friend.
Three dives a day in hard hat suit and twice I've had the bends.
Thank God it's only sixty feet and the currents here are slow
Or I'd never have the strength to go below.
But we've patched her rents, stopped her vents, dogged hatch and
porthole down.
Put cables to her, 'fore and aft and birded her around.
Tomorrow, noon, we hit the air and then take up the strain.
And watch the Mary Ellen Carter Rise Again.

For we couldn't leave her there, you see, to crumble into scale.
She'd saved our lives so many times, living through the gale
And the laughing, drunken rats who left her to a sorry grave
They won't be laughing in another day. . .
And you, to whom adversity has dealt the final blow
With smiling bastards lying to you everywhere you go
Turn to, and put out all your strength of arm and heart and brain
And like the Mary Ellen Carter, rise again.

Rise again, rise again - though your heart it be broken
And life about to end
No matter what you've lost, be it a home, a love, a friend.
Like the Mary Ellen Carter, rise again.

(chorus)

In the days when I was courtin',
I was seldom done resortin'
In the ale house and the playhouse,
And many's the house between
I told me brother Seamus,
I'll go off and get right famous,
And when I come back home again,
I'll have seen the whole wide world

(chorus)And it's goodbye, Muirshin Durkin,
I'm sick and tired of workin'
I'll no more dig the praties,
I'll no longer be a fool
As sure as me name is Carney,
I'll go off to California
And instead of digging praties,
I'll be digging lumps of gold

Farewell to all the girls at home,
I'm bound away across the foam
Off to seek me fortune
In far Amerikay
There's silver there a-plenty,
For the poor and for the gentry
And when I come back home again,
I never more will say,

Chorus (repeat 2X)

*Made popular by The Pogues

In days of yore, from Britain's shore,
Wolfe the dauntless hero came,
And planted firm Britannia's flag
On Canada's fair domain.
Here may it wave, our boast, our pride,
And joined in love together,
The Thistle, Shamrock, Rose entwine
The Maple Leaf forever!

Twas Friday morn when we set sail
And we were not far from the land
When the captain, he spied a lovely mermaid
With a comb and a glass in her hand

How pleasant in winter to sit by the hob,
listening to the barks and the howls of the dog,
or in summer to wander the wide valleys through,
and to pluck the wild flowers in the May morning dew.

Oh, summer is coming, oh summer is here,
with the leaves on the trees, and the skies blue and clear,
and the birds they are singing their fond note so true,
and the flowers they are springing in the May morning dew.

Now the house that I lived in is but a stone on a stone,
and all round the garden the weeds they have grown,
and all the kind neighbours, that ever I knew,
like the red rose they withered in the May morning dew.

God be with the old folks, who are now dead and gone,
likewise with my brothers, young Dennis and John,
as they ran through the heather, the wild hare to pursue,
and their joys they were mingled in the May morning dew.

A holiday, a holiday, the first one of the year
Lord Arlen's wife came into church the gospel for to hear.
And when the meeting it was done she cast her eyes about
And there she saw little Mattie Groves, walking in the park.
Come home with me little Mattie Groves, come home with me tonight
Come home with me little Mattie Groves and sleep with me til light.
Oh I can't come home, I won't come home and sleep with you tonight
By the rings on your fingers I can tell you are Lord Arlen's wife.

'Tis true I am Lord Arlen's wife, Lord Arlen's not at home
He is out to the far corn fields, bringing the harvest home.
And the sundt who was standing by and hearing what was said
He saw Lord Arlen, he would know, before the sun would set.
And in his hurry to carry the news, he filled his breast and ran
And when he came to the broad mill stream he took off his shoes and swam

Little Mattie Groves, he lay down and took a little sleep
When he awoke Lord Arlen, was standing at his feet
Saying how do you like my feather bed and how do you like my sheets
And how do you like my lady, who lies in your arms asleep.
Oh well I like your feather bed and well I like your sheets
But better I like your lady maid who lies in my arms asleep.
Well Get Up! Get Up! Lord Arlen cried, Get Up as quick as you can
It'll never be said in fair England I slew a naked man!
Oh I won't get up, I won't get up, I can't get up for my life
For you have two long beaten swords and I have but a pocket knife.
Well it's true I have two beaten swords, they cost me deep in the purse
But you will have the better of them and I will have the worst.
And you will strike the very first blow and strike it like a man
I will strike the very next blow and I'll kill you if I can.

So Mattie struck the very first blow and he hurt Lord Arlen sore
Lord Arlen struck the very next blow and Mattie struck no more....
And then Lord Arlen he took his wife, he sat her on his knee
Saying who do you like the best of us, Mattie Groves or me.
And then spoke up his own dear wife never heard to speak so free
I'd rather kiss one dead Mattie's lips than you and your finery.
Lord Arlen he jumped up and loudly he did bawl
He stuck his wife right through the heart and pinned her against the wall!
A grave, a grave, Lord Arlen cried, I put these lovers in
But bury my lady at the top for she was of noble kin.

Also appears as "Matty Groves". Sometimes "Lord Arlen" is substituted with "Lord Donald". Parody verison called "Fatty Groves"