Print This Page#00093 Print This Page
Click Here for guitar tabs.
Oh, the harbour lights are gleamin',
And the evening's still and dark;
And the seagulls are all dreaming,
Seagull dreams on Amherst Rock.
And the mist is slowly drifting,
As the shorefront lights go dim;
And the moon is gently lifting,
As the last ship's — the last ship's — coming in.
All the sailors got a story,
Some are true, some are false;
But they're always wrecked and they're up on the deck,
And dancin' the St. John's Waltz.
And we've had our share of history,
We've seen nations come and go;
We've seen battles rage over land and stage,
Two hundred years and more.
For glory or for freedom,
Or for country or for king;
Or for money or fame, but there are no names,
On the graves where men lie sleeping.
All the nine-to-fives survive the day,
With a sigh and a dose of salts;
They're parkin' their cars and packin' the bars,
Dancin' the St. John's Waltz.
Oh, my heart is on the highway,
And I'm sold on goin' to sea;
All the planes fill the skyway,
All the trains run swift and free.
So leave the wayward free to wander,
Leave the restless free to roam;
If it's rocks in the bay, if it's old cliche,
You'll find your way back home.
So don't question or inquire,
What's been gained, what's been lost;
In a world of romance don't miss out on the chance,
To be dancin' the St. John's Waltz.
The YouTube video above features Ron Hynes performing his own song.
The variant in the YouTube video below features a live performance at Erin's Pub in St. John's, NL, by Phyllis Morrissey with Dermot O'Reilly, Chris Hennessey, and Kelly Russell on the video Rigs, Jigs, And Songs From The Heart — A Musical Journey From Port Aux Basques To St, John's produced in the late-1990s by Dermot O'Reilly [1942-2007].
From the Dictionary Of Newfoundland English:
Stage — an elevated platform on the shore with working tables, sheds, etc, where fish are landed and processed for salting and drying, and fishing gear and supplies are stored; fishing stage.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Notes On Guitar Tabs:
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
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.
[G] Oh, the harbour lights are gleaming,
[C] And the evening's still and [G] dark;
And the [G] seagulls are all [Em] dreaming,
[A7] Seagull dreams on Amherst [D] Rock.
[G] And the mist is slowly drifting,
[C] As the storefront lights go [G] dim;
And the [G] moon is gently [Em] lifting,
As the [A7] last ship's coming [D] in.
[C] All the sailors got a story,
Some are [G] true, some are [Em] false;
But [G] they're always wrecked and they're [Em] up on the [C] deck,
[A7] Dancin' the [D] St. John's [G] Waltz.
