With our nets and gear we're faring
On the wild and wasteful ocean.
It's out there on the deep we harvest and keep our bread
As we hunted for the shoals of herring
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It was on a fair and a pleasant day
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Out of Yarmouth harbor I was faring
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As a cabin boy on a sailing lugger
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For to hunt the bonny shoals of herring
O the work was hard and the hours were long
And the treatment, sure it took some bearing
And I used to sleep standing on my feet
And I'd dream about the shoals of herring
O we left the homegrounds in the month of June
And to Canny Shiels we soon were bearing
With a hundred cran of silver darlings
That we'd taken from the shoals of herring
You're net rope man now, boy you're on the move
You can swear and show a manly bearing
Take your turn on watch with the other fellows
While following the shoals of herring
Now you're up on deck, you're a fisherman
And you're learning all about sea faring
That's your education scraps of navigation
As you hunt the bonnie shoals of herring
In the stormy seas and the living gales
I earned the gear that I was wearing
Sailed ten thousand miles caught ten million fishes
As we hunted for the shoals of herring
(Last verse sung with mininimal accompaniment)
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And it's night and day we're faring
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Come winter wave or winter gale
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Sweating or cold growing up growing old or dying
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As we hunt the bonnie shoals of herring