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Lay aloft, you hearty sailors,
See your braces are all clear;
Get your bunts and clew lines ready,
For Newfoundland we will steer.
Rolling home to dear Newfoundland,
Sailing home across the sea;
Sailing home to dear old Newfie,
Coming back, fair land, to thee.
To Malacca's fair-haired daughters,
Unto ye we'll bid adieu;
But we won't forget the good times,
That we had along with you.
Lay aloft, you hearty sailors,
Now our topsails for to store;
We are now out in mid-ocean,
In a heavy storm and snow.
Rolling home to dear Newfoundland,
Sailing home across the sea;
Sailing home to dear old Newfie,
Coming back, fair land, to thee.
Around Cape Race on a winter's morning,
And her decks all ice and snow;
You can hear the sailors swearing,
On the hardships they go through.
Now we're off the Narrows,
The tide has all got us in tow;
Towing into St. John's Harbour,
Where we'll meet our friend and foe.
Rolling home to dear Newfoundland,
Sailing home across the sea;
Sailing home to dear old Newfie,
Coming back, fair land, to thee.
Sung by Morris Houlihan of Flatrock, NL, and published in MacEdward Leach And The Songs Of Atlantic Canada © 2004 Memorial University of Newfoundland Folklore and Language Archive (MUNFLA).
This appears to be an original Newfoundland capstan shanty, usually sung while weighing anchor for the journey home, however there are many variants in many counties with different locations in the lyrics.
