Henry's Songbook

Here's to the Grimsby lads out on the trawling
All the night long on the billowing deep
Shooting their nets with their heaving and hauling
All the night long while the landsmen do sleep

They leave in the cold and the grey of the morning
Leaving their wives and families behind
They're following the fishes fulfilling their wishes
Charts are all ready the shoals for to find

They head away north where they know will be waiting
Frost and black ice and the lash of the gale
They're trawling and hoping and anticipating
A ship home port full and safely to sail

From Scotland's grey shores to the cold coast of Greenland
White Seas and Faroes they're making their way
Through Dogger and Fortys and stormy Bear Island
Eighteen long hours is the fisherman's day

The nets are all in and the catch lies a-gleaming
There's cutting and cleaning and gutting below
Thirteen more hours then home we'll be sailing
With a ship home port full and safely we'll go

(as sung by Finbar & Eddie Furey)

[1976:] Learned from Gibb Todd at singing sessions in the 'Old Dyers Arms' in Coventry. (Notes Finbar & Eddie Furey, 'The Farewell Album')