Banks Of Newfoundland Lyrics

Far from the billows and the waves that round poor sailors roar

O little we knew the hardships that we were obliged to stand

For fourteen days and fourteen nights on the Banks of Newfoundland

Our good ship never crossed before these stormy western waves

And the raging sea came down on us and soon beat in her stays

She being of green unseasoned wood and little could she stand

When the hurricane came down on us on the Banks of Newfoundland

We were starved and frozen with the cold when we sailed from old Québec

And every now and then we were obliged to walk the deck

We being all hardy Irishmen and our vessel did well man

And the captain doubled each man's grog on the Banks of Newfoundland

We fasted for three days and nights till provisions did run out

And on the morning of the fourth we cast a lot about

The lot it fell on the captain's son and as you may understand

We spared his life for another night on the Banks of Newfoundland

Then on the morning of the fifth he got orders to prepare

We only gave him one short hour to offer up a prayer

But providence proved kind to us and saved blood from every hand

When a full-rigged ship hauled into view on the Banks of Newfoundland

When they took us from our wrecked ship we were more like ghosts than men

They fed us and they clothed us and they brought us back again

But many of our brave Irish boys never saw their native land

And the captain lost both legs from frost on the Banks of Newfoundland

The number of our passengers was four hundred thirty two

There was none of them poor passengers could tell the tale but two

Their parents may shed bitter tears that's on their native strand

While mountains of waves roll over their graves on the Banks of Newfoundland