Make And Break Harbour

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How still lies the bay in the light western airs,
Which blow from the crimson horizon;
Once more we tack home with a dry empty hold,
Saving nets with the breezes so fair.
She's a kindly cape islander, old but still sound,
But so lost in the long liner's shadow;
Make And Break and make do, but the fish are so few,
That she won't be replaced should she flounder.

Now, it's so hard to not think of before the big war,
When the cod went so cheap, but so plenty;
Foreign trawlers go by now with long seeking eyes,
Taking all where we seldom take any.
And the young folk don't stay with the fisherman's ways,
Long ago they all moved to the cities;
And the ones left behind, old and tired and blind,
Won't work for a pound, for a penny.

In Make And Break Harbour the boats are so few,
Too many are pulled up and rotten;
Most houses stand empty, old nets hung to dry,
Are blown away lost and forgotten.

Now, I can see the big draggers that stirred up the bay,
Leaving lobster traps smashed on the bottom;
And they think it don't pay to respect the old ways,
That Make And Break men have not forgotten.
For we still keep our time to the turn of the tide,
In this boat that I built with my father;
Still lifts to the sky! The one-lunger and I
Still talk like old friends on the water.

####.... Stan Rogers (Fogarty's Cove, 1976) ....####

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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.

Intro: [D]

[D] How still lies the [Bm] bay, in the [G] light western [A] airs,
Which [Em] blow from the [G] crimson ho- [A] rizon;
Once [D] more we tack [D7] home, with a [G] dry empty [A] hole,
Saving [Em] nets with the [G] breezes so [A] fair.
She's a [D] kindly cape [Bm] islander, [G] old but still [A] sound,
But so [Em] lost in the [G] long liners [A] shadow;
Make And [D] Break and make [D7] do, but the [G] fish are so [Em] few,
That she [A] won't be re- [G] placed should she [D] flounder.

Now it's so hard to not [Bm] think of [G] before the big [A] war,
When the [Em] cod went so [G] cheap, but so [A] plenty;
Foreign [D] trawlers go [D7] by now, with [G] long seeking [A] eyes,
Taking [Em] all where we [G] seldom, take [A] any.
And the [D] young folk don't [Bm] stay, with the [G] fisherman's [A] ways,
Long a- [Em] go they all [G] moved, to the [A] cities;
And the [D] ones left [D7] behind, old and [G] tired and [Em] blind,
Won't [A] work for a [G] pound, for a [D] penny.

Chorus:
In [G] Make And Break [A] Harbour the [D] boats are so few,
Too [Bm] many are [A] pulled up and [G] rotten; [A]
Most [D] houses stand [Bm] empty, old [D] nets hung to [G] dry,
Are [A] blown away, [G] lost, and [D] forgotten.
[D] [Bm] [D] [G] [A] [G] [D]

Now, I can see the big [Bm] draggers, that [G] stirred up the [A] bay,
Leaving [Em] lobster traps [G] smashed on the [A] bottom;
And they [D] think it don't [D7] pay, to [G] respect the old [A] ways,
That [Em] Make And Break [G] men have not for- [A] gotten.
For we [D] still keep our [Bm] time to the [G] turn of the [A] tide,
In this [Em] boat that I [G] built with my [A] father;
Still [D] lifts to the [D7] sky, the one- [G] lunger and [Em] I,
Still [A] talk like [G] old friends on the [D] water.

~ Chords contributed by Bob Dumais ~