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All Coiled Down (So Long)

Words by Cicely Fox Smith. Music by Alan Fitzsimmonds.

Originally a poem, written by Cicely Fox Smith (1882-1954)

A beautiful farewell song.

 

LYRICS

00:00 / 01:04

CHORUS
All coiled down and it’s time for us to go,
Every sail’s furled in a neat, harbour stow,
Another ship for us and for her another crew,
So-long sailorman, good luck to you.

 

A good berth I wish you in a ship well-found,
With a decent crowd for’d and her gear all sound,
Spars a man can trust when it’s comin’ on to blow,
And no Bos’n bawlin’ when it’s your watch below.

 

CHORUS

 

Fun and friends I wish you ‘til the pay’s all gone,
Pleasure while you spend it and contentment when it’s done,
A chest that’s never empty when you go back to sea,
And a better ship than she’s been … and a truer pal than me.

 

CHORUS

 

A good trade I wish you, and a fair landfall,
With neither fog nor iceberg, nor long calm, nor squall,
A pleasant port to come to, when the work’s all through,

So-long sailorman, good luck to you.

 

CHORUS x2

Tags:

Traditional, Ships/Sailing, Farewell, British, Slow Tempo

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We acknowledge the Gadigal and Bidjigal people of the Eora nation, upon whose lands we gather and sing.
We acknowledge sovereignty was never ceded. This always was and always will be Aboriginal land.

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Numerous photos by Nick Ryden 

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