[Verse 1: ringing Irish-accented male rock singer, over pounding drums and bodhran] I sell fish off the harbor wall in Kilcarra by the quay And the pager on my apron is the only boss for me There's the baker and the barman and the teacher and the vet And Tom Coyle, he's seventy, and he isn't finished yet And the lifeboat station on the slip the town built stone by stone But a man named Desmond Vance has bought the harbor for his own He wants apartments with a view, and the station's in his way And he's got the council in his pocket, and they'll close us down by May [Chorus: ringing Irish-accented male rock singer, the whole band, pipes and fiddle high] When there's a shout, we go, we go, no matter who or where When there's a shout, we go, the sea don't check the names out there Pull on the boots and pull on the coat and run the boat into the foam When there's a shout, we go, and every one of them comes home [Verse 2: harder, the fiddle driving] Tuesday night, a force nine gale, and two o'clock the pager goes I'm runnin' down the hill in socks, my boots in hand, and no one knows Yacht in trouble off the Head, three souls aboard, the mast is gone And the coastguard reads the name out, and the crew goes quiet, Tom Says, "That's Vance," and nobody moves, for one breath, maybe two Then he spits upon the slipway and he says, "What else would we do?" [Chorus: the whole band, pipes and fiddle high] When there's a shout, we go, we go, no matter who or where When there's a shout, we go, the sea don't check the names out there Pull on the boots and pull on the coat and run the boat into the foam When there's a shout, we go, and every one of them comes home [Verse 3: ringing Irish-accented male rock singer, the drums and bodhran pounding like the sea] Thirty-foot seas off the Head, and the yacht is on her side And we bring her in the lee and pull them over, one, two, three, inside Vance is blue and shakin' with the blanket round his chin And he says, "You know who I am," I say, "A man soaked to the skin" "Tomorrow you can take the station, take the slip and take the stone But tonight you're in my boat, sir, and tonight you're goin' home" [Bridge: the pipes alone over the bodhran, then the band builds] The sea don't read the paper, and the sea don't read the deed And the sea don't care who owns the wall, it only cares who's in need [Chorus: a cappella for the first two lines, his voice alone, then the whole band crashes in on the third] When there's a shout, we go, we go, no matter who or where When there's a shout, we go, the sea don't check the names out there Pull on the boots and pull on the coat and run the boat into the foam When there's a shout, we go, and every one of them comes home [End]
