Hi
Rowena and I sing this song. It's called

RAPE OF THE MACKEREL SHOALS
By Richard Gendall

If ever you are at the port of Newlyn,
Falmouth or Mevagissey, Looe,
St. Ives or Padstow or Porthleven,
There's fishermen with nothing left to do.
The mackerel they teemed around our waters.
The harvest it was regular and true.
Sufficient was to feed our sons and daughters.
Our little ships could work the season through.

CHORUS: You shoot your nets on either hand.
You bait your lines with caviar.
You'd just as well remain on land, boys.
There's no more fish out where you are.

But giants came from Russia and from Scotland,
Bulgaria and France and everywhere.
They scooped the very bread from out our hands, boys.
There's nothing that these pirates have to fear.
The seas that tumble round our homeland,
For thousands now of years have served us well.
Why should we now be so beset by brigands
Who legally are sending us to hell?

'Tis proper job to weave the mackerel in, boys,
Although your hands are bleeding sore.
But nowadays you get it in a tin, boys,
So why go fishing any more?
Come, are there only guts in fishes?
What happened to the nerve we had before?
Our Cornish hearts don't vainly beat on wishes,
But fight and ask for what you know is yours.

If you are at Falmouth for the Voice Tour the weekend 17th/19th October, you may hear it. It is a great singing weekend.