now its just my luck to have the watch with nothing left to do but watch the deadly waters glide as we roll north to the soo and wonder when theyll turn again and pitch us to the rail and whirl off one more youngster in the gale the kid was so damned eager it was all so big and new you never had to tell him twice or find him work to do and evenings on the mess deck he was always first to sing and show us pictures of the girl hed wed in spring but i told that kid a hundred times dont take the lakes for granted they go from calm to a hundred knots so fast they seem enchanted but tonight some red eyed wiarton girl lies staring at the wall and her lovers gone into a white squall now its a thing that us oldtimers know in a sultry summer calm there comes a blow from nowhere and it goes off like a bomb and a fifteen thousand tonner can be thrown upon her beam while the gale takes all before it with a scream the kid was on the hatches lying staring at the sky from where i stood i swear i could see tears fall from his eyes so i hadnt the heart to tell him that he should be on a line even on a night so warm and fine but i told that kid a hundred times dont take the lakes for granted they go from calm to a hundred knots so fast they seem enchanted but tonight some red eyed wiarton girl lies staring at the wall and her lovers gone into a white squall when it struck he sat up with a start i roared to him get down but for all that he could hear i could as well not made a sound so i clung there to the stanchions and i felt my face go pale as he crawled hand over hand along the rail i could feel her heeling over with the fury of the blow i watched the rail go under then so terrible and slow then like some great dog she shook herself and roared upright again far overside i heard him call my name but i told that kid a hundred times dont take the lakes for granted they go from calm to a hundred knots so fast they seem enchanted but tonight some red eyed wiarton girl lies staring at the wall and her lovers gone into a white squall so its just my luck to have the watch with nothing left to do but watch the deadly waters glide as we roll north to the soo and wonder when theyll turn again and pitch us to the rail and whirl off one more youngster in the gale but i tell these kids a hundred times dont take the lakes for granted they go from calm to a hundred knots so fast they seem enchanted but tonight some red eyed wiarton girl lies staring at the wall and her lovers gone into a white squall1
['canadian celtic', 'canadian singer-songwriter', 'celtic', 'nl folk', 'shanty']