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Homeward bound across the sea,
When a drunken captain got on a spree;
He came on board and to us did say,
Get your anchors ready and we'll put to sea.
We got all things ready by his command,
As the wind blew freely we left the land;
We left Cape Pine all on our lee,
And we swung her off in a heavy sea.
Down came a squall from the angry sky,
Our ship she's sinking and her decks can't rise;
We asked our captain to shorten sail,
Or we'll all be lost in this heavy gale.
He wrang his hands and he tore his hair,
Saying, when I am captain you need not fear;
While I am captain you need not fear,
I'll shoot the first man that interferes,
Up speaks one of our noble men,
Saying there's twelve of us on her deck to stand;
We all reef her down to the sea's we'll go,
If you interfere you'll be tied below.
We reefed her down against his will,
As the wind blew freely her sails kept filled;
She's heading down for the cape shore now,
And she's driving the white foam from her bow.
It's homeward bound in deep distress,
Like a white seagull as she seeks her nest;
If I gets on shore no more I'll sail,
With a drunken captain in a heavy gale.
In Canso Strait our vessel layGenevieve Lehr then noted that the song would appear to have been composed in Newfoundland, but could very well have been written in Nova Scotia.
We just arrived in from the bay,
Our vessel built both stout and strong
To Gloucester she does belong.
