Song information On this page you can find the lyrics of the song The Islands, artist - Fairport Convention.
Date of issue: 06.06.2005
Song language: English
The Islands |
We do not fear the long ships |
We’ve seen long ships before |
Men sailed here from the Northlands |
And hauled their boats ashore |
They brought with them their music |
Their language and their lore |
And they burned their boats and stayed here on the Islands |
It’s midday in the wintertime |
Before the moon goes pale |
The winter songs are very long |
The storm winds and the gales |
The midnightsun’s as distant |
As the calling of the whales |
Till spring returns again to paint the Islands |
The grey seals and the otter |
The salmon and the char |
The land locked and the sea trapped |
The free birds in the air |
The shepherd and the farmer |
And all those in their care |
Harmonize the music of the Islands |
We never feared the long ships |
Till the coming of the Braer |
The roaring sea in anger threw |
That broken boat ashore |
Spilled fuel enough to take that ship |
Twice round the world or more |
Filled the air with oil to paint the Islands |
As if the sea had realized |
The tragedy in store |
Its waves continued pounding |
About a week or more |
Most of the crude was washed away |
And never came ashore |
And the sea regained its temper round the Islands |
So may this be a warning |
To those whose faceless greed |
Would sail close to our shoreline |
To save both fuel and speed |
The sea is our protector |
Provider of our needs |
And a jealous guard and keeper of these Islands |