Didn't find the lyrics anywhere, so here they are. I'm pretty sure I heard all of these right. Here goes nothing. It starts with the chorus. As someone pointed out, this is about the wreck of the HMS Orpheus, a royal navy steam-sail ship. Orpheus Chorus: The Orpheus was a proud ship Sailing the ocean waves The Orpheus was a doomed ship Sailing a watery grave In eighteen hundred and sixty three she left off Sydney town Two hundred and fifty men on board For New Zealand bound The Tasman sea was smooth and calm She made her race to run Until she reached the Manukau bar And there her race was run Chorus Manukau harbor's a haven safe from the raging storm But Manukau bar's a treacherous place Where many fine ships have gone down The Orpheus tried to take the bar through the breaking waves She struck a bank and there stuck fast And there she ended her days Chorus The Orpheus was a modern ship Powered by steam and sail But her mighty engines could not save her from her terrible fate One boat only was got away to reach the water blue shore The steamboat Wonga southward bound saved a few men more. Chorus The poor brave men did refuge seek On the mainmast hide The roaring waves broke over them and swept them all aside One hundred and eighty nine men were lost A sad and bitter day One hundred and eighty nine men were lost To lie in lonely graves Chorus
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