[Verse 1] We left the pier at break of dawn With tar on rope and rain on palm The gulls flew low, the nets hung slack And black clouds rolled from starboard back The bosun spat and tightened grip A prayer in teeth, a hand on the whip The decks still shone with old salt stains And every man knew wind and change [Pre-Chorus] Hear that groan in the timber seam The sea don't care for a sailor's dream So brace your legs and hold the line One more pull and we'll be fine [Chorus] Heave, boys, heave! (Heave!) Hold the mast and trust the deep Heave, boys, heave! (Heave!) We row for breath, we row for keep Salt and bones, salt and bones We are not taken, we are not gone Salt and bones, salt and bones Sing us through the rolling storm [Verse 2] The waves came up like prison walls And lightning split the dark in scars The wheel jerked hard, the canvas tore We kissed the cold blue western roar A mate got tossed by the boiling bow We hauled him back with a shouting vow His laughter shook through grit and foam Said, "If we must fall, we'll fall as home" [Pre-Chorus] Hear that groan in the timber seam The sea don't care for a sailor's dream So brace your legs and hold the line One more pull and we'll be fine [Chorus] Heave, boys, heave! (Heave, heave!) Hold the mast and trust the deep Heave, boys, heave! (Heave, heave!) We row for breath, we row for keep Salt and bones, salt and bones We are not taken, we are not gone Salt and bones, salt and bones Sing us through the rolling storm [Bridge] At midnight we heard the hull give way A crack like thunder under spray The captain roared, "Let no man kneel!" We drove the ship on iron will If fate comes calling by our name Let it find us singing all the same With torn red hands and salt-blind eyes We face the dark and claim the prize [Final Chorus] Heave, boys, heave! (Hey, Hey!) Hold the mast and trust the deep Heave, boys, heave! (Hey, Hey!) We row for breath, we row for keep Salt and bones, salt and bones We are not taken, we are not gone Salt and bones, salt and bones Sing us through the rolling storm Salt and bones, Sing on till the sea says so
