A dreamy new sea shanty like memories of old-time sailing adventures and misadventures, and tropical isles with waving palms. I think this is the second original sea shanty I wrote after I started playing with the Shanty Choir Tall Ship MIR in Saint Petersburg in early 2014.
So this is a new song of the sea in an oldish style, but with some more modern folk touches here and there. During the long dark winters in northwest Russia, it's easy to sit and daydream about sun-drenched tropical islands.
Lyrics
In the days of our long-fathers tried and true
Weigh away for Kingston town
Hardy men sailed on the oceans blue
We are bound for Jamaica's shore
Those ships they sailed in we cannot ken
Weigh away for Kingston town
They left to return but they never knew when
We are bound for Jamaica's shore
REFRAIN:
Weigh away for Jamaica's shore
Where the palm trees wave
And the seagulls soar
Maybe we'll never come back no more
When we're come to Kingston town
But today we're outward bound
We are bound for Jamaica's shore
They worked for the wages the sea did give
Weigh away for Kingston town
T'was the only way they ever did care to live
We are bound for Jamaica's shore
In the merchant vessels some did sail
Weigh away for Kingston town
Others did hunt the Leviathan whale
We are bound for Jamaica's shore
There were them as sought the Spaniards' gold
Weigh away for Kingston town
Some of them never lived to grow old
We are bound for Jamaica's shore
There were many who fished the deeps for cod
Weigh away for Kingston town
In howling gales some met their God
We are bound for Jamaica's shore
Now the blood of those mariners flows in our veins
Weigh away for Kingston town
And so we are putting out to sea again
We are bound for Jamaica's shore
Farewell to the lovely girls we leave on the shore
Weigh away for Kingston town
In case we never do come back more
We are bound for Jamaica's shore
