ISAAC LEWIS

Tom Russell

My name is Isaac Lewis; I'm an able-bodied man
On the ship the Royal Charter,
bound out for Van Diemen's Land.
Oh, the seas that took six months to cross,
we could now do in two,
So it's up that Mersey River, boys,

out of Liverpool we flew.

And some of us were sailors,

all hardy, young and bold,
And some of us were pioneers,

bound off to search for gold.
There were merchants and musicians,
Christian soldiers of the cross.
We stared into that foaming sea,
saw our dreams down in the froth.

And every night I dream a dream,
as the wind sweeps through the sails,
That I am in my father's house
back home in northern Wales,
And reaching for my father’s hand;
I say, "I love you very much,"
But the ship rolls over — the dream is drowned
before our fingers touch.
         
Sail on m’ boys; sail on m’boys and on and on and on,
for my name is Isaac Lewis and this shall be my song.

So we landed there in Botany Bay,
and the boys went on the town,
And I met a girl named Emma Gray;
I loved her up and down,
And I swore that I'd return for her,
just one more tour of sea,
For I had to see my father,
and tell him how much he’s meant to me.

So I kissed the lips of Emma Gray

and sailed for Liverpool,
And the parrots perched in the riggings, boys;
dolphins swam in schools,
And our trip it was a pleasant one
‘til we reached the coast of Wales.
Just one day out from Liverpool,
God unleashed a gale.

Good Lord! I've seen some squalls, me boys,
hurricanes at sea,
And many nights I'd rediscovered faith on bended knee,
But I never seen it blow so hard; we anchored her at last,
But the waves rolled o'er the top of us;
we had to cut the mast.

All the mining magnates clutched their gold,
believing they'd be saved,
But their bloody greed destroyed them first

beneath the angry waves.
The women and the children,  lost unto eternity!
Ah, man has tamed and shaped the land,

but he'll never tame the sea.

Every night I’d dreamed my dream,

as the wind swept through our sails,
And I am in my father's house

back home in northern Wales,
I reach out for my father’s hand;

I say, "I love you very much,"
But the ship rolls over — the dream is drowned

before our fingers touch

.

We were caught upon the rocks, me boys,

ten yards away from shore,
we could see men standing on the banks,

maybe three or more,
And I swear I saw my father waving at me

through the squall,
I screamed “Father, I am coming home”;

that's all that I recall.

For the waves they swept me overboard

with broken mast and sails,
And I drowned where as a child I'd fished

on the rocks of northern Wales,
And in three days time I washed up on

the whitened sandy shore,
Just a hundred yards from Moelfre

and my father's white oak door.

And some will cry coincidence, or say this can't be true.
I only say just tell your loved ones what they mean to you,
For ye may sail the sea of life, pursuing golden schemes,
Yet drown so closely to your home, the cradle of your dreams.

STEADY AS YOU GO

© Jennifer Cutting 2014,
Once and Future Songs, BMI

You have always loved to travel

on the wind and land and sea,
And you’ve seen so many places it can hardly be believed,
Now the place that you are going

we’ve seen only in our dreams,
Let our love keep you steady as you go.

Many hands make you ready, with a touch so sure and soft,          
Many strong arms to lift you, as you go aloft;
As you sail to Forever, where the wild waters flow,
Let our love keep you steady as you go.

Well it’s love that bids you stay here,

and love that bids you go;
In this port, it’s “fare thee well,” but in the next,

they’ll shout “Hullo!”
You could stay here in this harbor,

but that’s not what ships are for,
Let our love keep you steady as you go.
CHORUS

And I hope that you’ll forgive us any harm

we’ve brought to you,
And the joy’s what you’ll remember

when your journey here is through;
You will still be real as ever,

though you’ve sailed beyond our view, 
Let our love keep you steady as you go.

And the sorrow in your leaving,

may it open up our hearts
To the sorrow felt by others,

so that we can do our part;
As we comfort one another,

then the healing time will start,      
Let our love keep us steady as we go.

CHORUS
Many hands make you ready, with a touch so sure and soft,          
Many strong arms to lift you, as you go aloft;
As you sail to Forever, where the wild waters flow,
Let our love keep you steady as you go

SALLY FREE AND EASY

© Cyril Tawney

Sally Free and Easy that should be her name

Sally Free and Easy that should be her name
She took a sailor's loving for a nursery game

Oh, the heart she gave me it was not made of stone

Oh, the heart she gave me it was not made of stone
It was sweet and hollow like a honeycomb

Think I'll wait until sunset, see the ensign down

Think I'll wait until sunset, see the ensign down
Then I'll take the tideway to my burying ground

Sally Free and Easy that should be her name

Sally Free and Easy that should be her name
When my body's landed hope she dies of shame

NASTY NELL

© Janie Meneely

Bunky he was waiting for a big old fish to strike
Day dreamin' 'bout women and the fight on Friday night
He hocked a loogie o'er the side and took another chew
When something starts to thrashing such as feisty fishes do
No sooner Bunky cocks his head, a female form appears
It's Nasty Nell, the mermaid, just as sure as Bud is beer
"Dammit, Captain," she pipes up,

"you snaggled my caboose.
I'll give you to the count of two to up and cut me loose."

"Hold on, Sister," Bunky sez, "I don't believe we've met.
Whyn't you just thrash until that hook is good and set,
And then I'll haul you up on deck and won't we have a time.
A salty gal such as yourself would prob'ly suit me fine."
Now Nelly ain't no beauty—I forgot to tell ya that.
Tattoos on her biceps, and barnacles up her back,
Seaweed sproutin' from her chest, a scar across her gut
And she cursed like any blue-nose

when she got her dander up:

"Go to hell!" sez Nasty Nell, a'stubbing her cigar
You're nothing but a lily-livered lousy lump o' lard
I'd jump the bones of Davy Jones or sit on Ahab's knee
Before I'd let the likes of you

lay your chiggered mitts on me

Bunky starts to chuckle, just to see the mermaid spit
And he settles in his deck chair so's to watch her pitch a fit.
"Tell me when you're tired, Luv," he sez to Nasty Nell.
"I don't want you all tuckered when I ring that party bell."

"Listen Buster" Nelly snaps, "this isn't any joke.
Piss me off and in a flash, I'll up and sink your boat."
"I love a spunky lady," Bunky answers with a grin,
And he grabs his fishing tackle

and he starts to crank her in.

"There, there," Bunky tells her, "No need to feel distraught.
All's fair in love and fishing, and you're the one got caught."
But Nelly held a mirror up and flashed it from her hand.
"I got Fifty bucks sez you ain't setting foot again on land."
With that she flapped her scaly tail

and jiggled loose that hook
She flipped old Bunk the finger and without a second look,
She dove down deep and swam away

without a pretty please
As Bunky felt the water start to swirl around his knees.

It's a lesson for the learning, for them's as would be wise.
Watch out for them there mermaids

what'll cut you down to size
They are the stuff of legends such as found in any book
Why, a mermaid, she can sink ya with a single dirty look!
There's countless songs and stories

though no witnesses survive
They don't appear inclined to leave us sailor boys alive
They'll flash that bloody mirror

and down in the sea you'll drop
Just ask our buddy Bunky  - next time he washes up.