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How still lies the bay in the light western air,
That blows from the crimson horizon;
Once more we tack home with a dry empty hold,
Saving nets with the breezes so fair.
She's a kindly cape islander, old but still sound,
But so lost in the longliner's shadow;
Make And Break and make do, but the fish are so few,
That she won't be replaced should she flounder.
It's hard to not think of before the big war,
When cod went so cheap, yet so plenty;
Foreign trawlers go by now with long-seeing eyes,
Taking all where we seldom take any.
And the young folk don't stay with the fisherman's ways,
Long ago they all moved to the cities;
And the ones left behind, old, tired, and blind,
That work for a pound or a penny.
In Make And Break Harbour the boats are so few,
Too many are pulled up and rotten;
Most houses stand empty, old nets hung to dry
Are blown away, lost and forgotten.
I can see the big draggers that stirred up the bay,
Leaving lobster traps smashed on the bottom;
And they think it don't pay to respect the old ways,
That Make And Break men have not forgotten.
For we still keep our time to the turn of the tide,
And this boat that I built with my father,
Still lifts to the sky! One-lunger and I
Still talk like old friends on the water.
In Make And Break Harbour the boats are so few,
Too many are pulled up and rotten;
Most houses stand empty, old nets hung to dry
Are blown away, lost and forgotten.
In Make And Break Harbour the boats are so few,
Too many are pulled up and rotten;
Most houses stand empty, old nets hung to dry
Are blown away, lost and forgotten.
See more songs by Stan Rogers.
The YouTube video above features an excellent cover performance by Jody Hale of Too Good Arm and Grand Falls-Windsor, NL.
From the Dictionary Of Newfoundland English:
Longliner — vessel that sets [gill] nets which fish swim into rather than dragging nets as trawlers do.
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Notes On Guitar Tabs:
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All guitar tabs have been contributed by visitors to this site and represent their interpretation of the tune. We are unable to verify their accuracy.
Intro: [D]
[D] How still lies the [Bm] bay, in the [G] light western [A] air,
That [Em] blows from the [G] crimson ho- [A] rizon;
Once [D] more we tack [D7] home, with a [G] dry empty [A] hole,
Saving [Em] nets with the [G] breezes so [A] fair.
She's a [D] kindly cape [Bm] islander, [G] old but still [A] sound,
But so [Em] lost in the [G] longliner's [A] shadow;
Make And [D] Break and make [D7] do, but the [G] fish are so [Em] few,
That she [A] won't be re- [G] placed should she [D] flounder.
It's hard to not [Bm] think of [G] before the big [A] war,
When the [Em] cod went so [G] cheap, yet so [A] plenty;
Foreign [D] trawlers go [D7] by now, with [G] long-seeing [A] eyes,
Taking [Em] all where we [G] seldom, take [A] any.
And the [D] young folk don't [Bm] stay with the [G] fisherman's [A] ways,
Long a- [Em] go they all [G] moved to the [A] cities;
And the [D] ones left [D7] behind, old, [G] tired, and [Em] blind,
That [A] work for a [G] pound or a [D] penny.
Chorus:
In [G] Make And Break [A] Harbour the [D] boats are so few,
Too [Bm] many are [A] pulled up and [G] rotten; [A]
Most [D] houses stand [Bm] empty, old [D] nets hung to [G] dry
Are [A] blown away, [G] lost, and [D] forgotten.
[D] [Bm] [D] [G] [A] [G] [D]
I can see the big [Bm] draggers that [G] stirred up the [A] bay,
Leaving [Em] lobster traps [G] smashed on the [A] bottom;
And they [D] think it don't [D7] pay to [G] respect the old [A] ways,
That [Em] Make And Break [G] men have not for- [A] gotten.
For we [D] still keep our [Bm] time to the [G] turn of the [A] tide,
And this [Em] boat that I [G] built with my [A] father,
Still [D] lifts to the [D7] sky! One- [G] lunger and [Em] I,
Still [A] talk like [G] old friends on the [D] water.
Chorus:
In [G] Make And Break [A] Harbour the [D] boats are so few,
Too [Bm] many are [A] pulled up and [G] rotten; [A]
Most [D] houses stand [Bm] empty, old [D] nets hung to [G] dry
Are [A] blown away, [G] lost, and [D] forgotten.
Chorus:
In [G] Make And Break [A] Harbour the [D] boats are so few,
Too [Bm] many are [A] pulled up and [G] rotten; [A]
Most [D] houses stand [Bm] empty, old [D] nets hung to [G] dry,
Are [A] blown away, [G] lost, and [D] forgotten.
[D] [Bm] [D] [G] [A] [G] [D]
~ Chords contributed by Bob Dumais ~
