MRS. MACDONALD'S LAMENT

When the wind's away, and the wave's away,
That crazy old fool will go down on the bay,
Dodgin' the ledges and settin' his gear,
And come back when the wind drives him in.

Chorus: Yet he knows full well the fishin' is done.
His credit's all gone and the winter is come.
But sure as the tide will rise and run,
He'll go back on the bay again.

When the snow is down on the Western Bay,
That fool will go runnin' the Fiddler's ground,
Haulin' his gear in the trough o' the sea,
As if he'd no mind of his own.

Well his father's gone, and his brothers are gone,
But still he goes down on the dark o’ the moon,
Rowin' the dory an' settin' the twine,
And it don't even pay for his time.

When the wind's away, and the wave's away,
The children go down on the bright mornin' sun.
They go rowin' them little boats out on the tide,
And they'll follow their foolish old man.

Well you blind old fool, your children are gone.
And you never would tell 'em the fishin' was done.
Their days were numbered the day they were born,
The same as their foolish old man.

written by Gordon Bok
Timberhead Music

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