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We were far from the shores of England,
Far from our children and wives,
To play our hand in the Newfoundland,
Where the wind cuts like a knife.
We were far from the shores of England.
We shipped on board the Maryanne,
To find a better life,
And we walked across the water,
When she broke up on the ice.
We came ashore in Carbonear,
With nothing but our rights;
And I wondered if I e'er again,
Would see my London lights.
We were far from the shores of England,
Far from our children and wives,
To play our hand in the Newfoundland,
Where the wind cuts like a knife.
We were far from the shores of England.
We spend our days amid the waves,
Working water, hook and twine;
We'd go for weeks with blistered cheeks,
Waiting for the sun to shine.
But as long as the sky hold over us,
We will not taste the brine,
And we'll curse the cod with the fear of God,
As we haul in every line.
We were far from the shores of England,
Far from our children and wives,
To play our hand in the Newfoundland,
Where the wind cuts like a knife.
We were far from the shores of England,
Far from our native soil,
To chase a wish and to hunt the fish,
And on the rocks to toil.
We were far from the shores of England.
Should we find Fortune's favour,
And be spared from the gale,
We will live off honest labour,
With our hearts as big as sails.
If I should die don't bury me,
Or leave me to the sea,
Send my bones back to my home,
Where my spirit can be free.
We were far from the shores of England,
Far from our children and wives,
To play our hand in the Newfoundland,
Where the wind cuts like a knife.
We were far from the shores of England,
Far from our native soil,
To chase a wish and to hunt the fish,
And on the rocks to toil.
We were far from the shores of England.
Recorded by Great Big Sea of St. John's, NL (Fortune's Favour, trk#3, 2008, Warner Music Canada, Scarborough, Ontario).
See more songs by Great Big Sea.
Liner notes: I remember being very lonely in Charlotte North Carolina. I missed my family at home and thought how tragic it would be if something bad were to happen and I never got to see them again. I was overwhelmed. I realized how the first immigrants to Newfoundland must have felt centuries ago, never knowing if they would ever get to say goodbye. England is my family. ~ Séan McCann
The YouTube video below features a live performance by Great Big Sea at the Gander 50th Anniversary show at Cobbs Rotary Park, Gander, Newfoundland, August, 2008.
The YouTube video below features a cover performance by Travis Hatcher of Labrador and Amherst, Nova Scotia.
