ONE MORE PULL BOYS (source)

Two quite different versions exist of this fairly recently written song. Ken Stephens, of Southampton, whose words we sing, told us "mine is the fishy version and a Navy version was done by Ian Woods (Suffolk folksinger and song writer) on the same day in the Kings Arms at Wareham some years ago - we both had a lot of beer and good old Rod Sheringham challenged us to write a song for a bottle of rum".

Giant comers, ocean rollers,
Living waves upon the sea.
But for us, boys, there's no future.
It's not like it used to be.

One more pull, boys. That'll do, boys.
Soon we'll draw alongside.
Hoist her upwards. Swing her inboard,
For the journey's nearly o'er.

Iceland's dangers, Greenland's fog banks,
Northern storm's intensity,
It's all gone now. Turn her homeward,
For the market won't reach the fee.

No more codfish off Newfoundland
Dancing silver down the hatch.
Drifters, trawlers and purse seiners
All laid up or sold for scrap.

So heave the line, boys, one last time, now.
Then we'll have the final trawl.
No need to wonder where it's all gone to.
Only time to heave 'n' haul.