The Fisherman's Lament

The Fisherman's Lament - Great Big Sea

I stand in my doorway as the moon rises high

Over glorious ocean

Reflects the bright sky

My heart it is aching

So much I could die

I've known only the ocean

Since I was a boy

And I spent my whole life out there on the sea

Some government bastard now takes it from me

It's not just the fish they've taken my pride

I feel so ashamed that I just want to hide

I fished with my father

So long long ago

We were proud of our trade

And in us it did show

We held our heads high

There was lots of fish then

That was the time when we were proud men

We challenged great storms and sometimes we won

Faced death and disaster

We rose with the sun

We worked and we toiled

We strained arm and brain

We were a proud people

Will we ere be again

And I spent my whole life out there on the sea

Some government bastard now takes it from me

It's not just the fish they've taken my pride

I feel so ashamed that I just want to hide

My father is gone now

And the fish are gone too

Abused and mis managed

Oh what can we do

I'm too old to change

But what of my sons

How will they know that we weren't the ones

DFO regulations permitted the rape

Of our beautiful ocean

From head land to cape

They brought in big trollers

They tore up our twine

Politicians don't care for what's yours or what's mine

And I spent my whole life out there on the sea

Some government bastard now takes it from me

It's not just the fish they've taken my pride

I feel so ashamed that I just want to hide

You brave Netherlanders

Now listen to me

Shove the package to hell

Go back to the sea

If we don't stand our ground

We will fade away

And the bones of our fathers will turn into clay

And I spent my whole life

Out there on the sea

Some government bastard now takes it from me

It's not just the fish

They've taken my pride

I feel so ashamed that I just want to die

Back to the sea