Shoals of Herring

Oh, it was a fine and a pleasant day
Out of Yarmouth harbor I was farin'
As a cabin boy on a sailin' lugger
For to go and hunt the shoals of herring
Oh, the work was hard and the hours were long
And the treatment, sure, it took some bearin'
There was little kindness and the kicks were many
As we hunted for the shoals of herring
Oh, we fished the Swarthe and the Broken Bank
I was cook and I’d a quarter sharin'
And I used to sleep standin' on my feet
And I’d dream about the shoals of herring
Oh, we left the home grounds in the month of June
And to canny Shields we soon was bearin'
With a hundred cran of the silver darlins
That we’d taken from the shoals of herring
Now you’re up on deck, you’re a fisherman
You can swear and show a manly bearin'
Take your turn on watch with the other fellows
While you’re searchin' for the shoals of herring
In the stormy seas and livin' gales
Just to earn your daily bread you’re darin'
From the Dover Straits to the Faroe Islands
As you’re following the shoals of herring
Well, I earned me keep and I paid me way
And I earned the gear what I was wearin'
Sailed a million miles, caught ten million fishes
We were sailin' after shoals of herring