[Verse 1] O Lord above, I fear the light, Pray let it not draw me this night, The timbers groan, the shutters cry, As blackened clouds consume the sky. The floorboards split beneath my feet, Salt winds and rain together meet, 'Tis not the hour, nor fitting place, Yet still I cling to one embrace. [Chorus] The tempest roars, the waters rise, Great thunder rends the weeping skies, Carry me not upon thy wave, For there is one small thing I crave. Not gold, nor land, nor earthly gain, But words unsent that now remain, And lonely is the dying shore, When none shall hear thee evermore. [Verse 2] The palms do bend like humble men, The sea hath claimed the road again, The lantern fades, the candle bows, The storm hath made its dreadful vows. I think not on the friends I'll miss, Nor kin denied a final kiss, But souls unto whom I ne'er spoke, Lost chances vanish like the smoke. [Chorus] The tempest roars, the waters rise, Great thunder rends the weeping skies, Carry me not upon thy wave, For there is one small thing I crave. Not gold, nor land, nor earthly gain, But words unsent that now remain, And lonely is the dying shore, When none shall hear thee evermore. [Bridge] I see the faces left behind, Like driftwood cast upon the tide, And in their eyes I find my own, A man condemned to stand alone. [Outro] O Lord above, if dawn should break, And spare this weary soul to wake, I'll speak the words I left unsaid, Before I'm numbered with the dead. The winds still howl beyond the door, The sea beats hard upon the shore, Yet through the darkness, faint and far, There lingers still a hopeful star.
