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As I rowed ashore from my schooner close by,
A girl on the beach I chanced to espy:
Her hair was red, and her bonnet was blue,
Her place of abode was Harbour Le Cou.
Boldly I asked her to walk on the sand,
She smiled like an angel and held out her hand;
I tucked in my jersey and hove 'way me chew,
In the dark flowing waters of Harbour Le Cou.
My ship she lay anchored far out on the tide,
As I strolled along with this maid at me side;
I told her I loved her and said I'll be true,
As I winked at the moon over Harbour Le Cou.
As we strolled along at the close of the day,
I thought of my wife who was home in Torbay;
I knew that she'd kill me if only she knew,
I was courting a lassie in Harbour Le Cou.
And by a log cabin that stood on the shore,
I met an old comrade I sailed with before;
He treated me kindly sayin', Jack, how are you?
It's seldom I see you in Harbour Le Cou.
As I was parting, this maiden in tow,
He broke up me party with one single blow;
Sayin', regards to your missus and wee kiddies, too,
I remember them well, they're from Harbour Le Cou.
Well, the pretty young damsel who was standing close by,
Her jaw did drop, and her mouth opened wide;
Then like a she-cat upon me she flew,
Was a fit of the furies in Harbour Le Cou.
So, to all you sailors who walk on the shore,
Beware of old comrades you sailed with before;
Beware of the maidens with bonnets of blue,
And the fighting young damsels of Harbour Le Cou.
Sung by Jim Mushrow (1912-2002) of Cape Ray, NL, and published in MacEdward Leach And The Songs Of Atlantic Canada © 2004 Memorial University of Newfoundland Folklore and Language Archive (MUNFLA). A similar variant was collected in 1951 from Bill Brennan of Stock Cove, NL, by Ken Peacock and published in Songs Of The Newfoundland Outports, Volume 1, pp.198-199, by The National Museum Of Canada (1965) Crown Copyrights Reserved.
Also published in Gerald S. Doyle's Old-Time Songs And Poetry Of Newfoundland: Songs Of The People From The Days Of Our Forefathers (Third edition, p.26, 1955). Also published on p.7 of Songs Of Newfoundland, a complimentary booklet of lyrics to twenty-one songs distributed by the Bennett Brewing Co. Ltd., of St. John's, NL, with the cooperation of the Gerald S. Doyle Song Book from which the words were obtained.
Recorded by Ryan's Fancy (Ryan's Fancy Live ©1975, Audat Records).
See more songs by Ryan's Fancy.
Also recorded by Anchors Aweigh (When Sailors Sing, WE Music Studio, 2001).
See more Anchors Aweigh songs.
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Notes On Guitar Tabs:
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All guitar tabs have been contributed by visitors to this site and represent their interpretation of the tune. We are unable to verify their accuracy.
(As arranged by Anchors Aweigh)
[A] As I rowed ashore from my schooner close by,
A girl on the beach I chanced to [E] espy;
Her [A] hair it was red and her [D] bonnet was [E] blue,
Her [A] place of [D] abode was [E] Harbour Le [A] Cou.
[A] Boldly I asked her to walk on the sand,
She smiled like an angel and held out her [E] hand;
I [A] tucked in my Jersey and [D] hove 'way me [E] chew,
In the [A] dark flowing [D] waters of [E] Harbour Le [A] Cou.
[A] My ship she lay anchored far out on the tide,
As I strolled along with this maid at me [E] side;
I told [A] her I loved her and [D] said I'll be [E] true,
As I [A] winked at the [D] moon over [E] Harbour Le [A] Cou.
[A] As we strolled along at the close of the day,
I thought of my wife who was home in [E] Torbay;
I knew [A] that she'd kill me if [D] only she [E] knew,
I was [A] courting a [D] lassie in [E] Harbour Le [A] Cou.
[A] And by a log cabin that stood on the shore,
I met an old comrade I sailed with [E] before;
He [A] treated me kindly sayin', [D] Jack, how are [E] you?
It's [A] seldom I [D] see you in [E] Harbour Le [A] Cou.
[A] As I was parting, this maiden in tow,
He broke up me party with one single [E] blow;
Sayin', [A] regards to your missus and [D] wee kiddies, [E] too,
I [A] remember them [D] well, they're from [E] Harbour Le [A] Cou.
[A] Well, the pretty young damsel who was standing close by,
Her jaw did drop, and her mouth opened [E] wide;
Then [A] like a she-cat [D] upon me she [E] flew,
Was [A] a fit of the [D] furies in [E] Harbour Le [A] Cou.
[A] So, to all you sailors who walk on the shore,
Beware of old comrades you sailed with [E] before;
Beware [A] of the maidens with [D] bonnets of [E] blue,
And the [A] fighting young [D] damsels of [E] Harbour Le [A] Cou.
~ Chords contributed by Bob Dumais ~
