The Fishermans Song

THE FISHERMAN’S SONG [Verse 1] Down by the harbour at the end of the day, You could see him coming from a mile away. In his old sea boots and his weathered cap, Black-and-white checks and a fisherman’s laugh. He’d push through the door with the wind at his back, Shake off the rain and order something on tap. Then somebody’d shout, “Come sit over here!” And the whole room smiled when he pulled up a chair. [Pre-Chorus] He had salt in his stories, The sea in his eyes, And every old tale Got better with time. [Chorus] So raise your glass for the fisherman, Raise it high, every woman and man. He sailed through the storms, he sailed through the rain, Then came to the pub and sang again. Hey! Raise your glass, let the good times roll, For the man with the fiddle and the sailor’s soul. If these old walls could talk tonight, They’d sing his songs till the morning light. [Verse 2] He knew every current, every rock, every bay, Knew when to go out and when to stay. Strong as the ropes on his old fishing boat, With a heart even bigger than his winter coat. And everyone knew him, young and old, Not for his money, not for his gold. But the way he would listen, the way he would grin, And somehow make everybody feel like a friend. [Pre-Chorus] Then out came the fiddle, And somebody cried, “Give us that old one!” And he smiled with pride. [Chorus] So raise your glass for the fisherman, Raise it high, every woman and man. He sailed through the storms, he sailed through the rain, Then came to the pub and sang again. Hey! Raise your glass, let the good times roll, For the man with the fiddle and the sailor’s soul. If these old walls could talk tonight, They’d sing his songs till the morning light. [Pub Break – Call and Response] Who knew the sea? HE DID! Who knew the tide? HE DID! Who played the fiddle on Saturday night? HE DID — AND HE PLAYED IT RIGHT! Hey! Hey! Fill ’em up again! Here’s to the fisherman, Here’s to our friend! [Verse 3] There were stories of waves twenty feet in the air, And fish getting bigger each time he was there. We knew half the stories were stretched just a bit, But nobody cared — that was part of the wit. He’d stamp with his boot while the fiddle would fly, And glasses were lifted and spirits ran high. From the corner table to the old pub door, Everybody shouted, “Play one more!” [Bridge] Now sometimes the harbour feels quiet and still, And an empty chair waits by the windowsill. But a person like him never truly leaves, He lives in the stories that everyone keeps. In the sound of the fiddle, The gulls and the sea, In the laughter of friends And our memories. So tonight there’s no sadness, Tonight we stand tall, For a man who brought something Good to us all. [Final Chorus] So raise your glass for the fisherman, Raise it high, every woman and man. He sailed through the storms, he sailed through the rain, And tonight we will sing his old songs again. Hey! Raise your glass, let the good times roll, For the man with the fiddle and the sailor’s soul. As long as there’s music, laughter and beer, A part of that fisherman always stays here. [Outro – Everyone Singing] Hey-ho, raise ’em high! For the fisherman under the open sky. Hey-ho, one more round! Let the old fiddle song go round and round. To the sea, to the village, To a damn good friend, We’ll sing for the fisherman Again and again. HEY! One more song! HEY! One more beer! Here’s to the fisherman — He’s still with us here.