Gordon Bok - Wiscasset schooners

Do you remember riding ^G#mhome before a ^Edying summer ^F#breeze Your ^Etops'ls gleaming ^F#golden, setting ^Bsun among the ^F#trees And the ^Bosprey wheeling ^G#mslowly through the ^Eshadows by the ^F#shore Where the ^Etowering cliffs of ^F#granite plunge ten ^Bfathoms deep or ^F#more And the ^Eeddies swirl and ^F#flow down be^Blow

You were solid-built of ^G#mDouglas fir and ^Eoak and yellow ^F#pine Two ^Ehundred feet, ^F#sailed by a crew that ^Bnumbered only ^F#nine Hauling ^Blumber through your ^G#mtimberports, and ^Edyewood from the ^F#south ^ERunning home from ^F#Norfolk, bearing ^Bcoal to heat the ^F#north And what^Eever they could ^F#stow down be^Blow

But the winter ^F#is u^Bpon you ^Enow, and ^C#mtime is passing ^F#slow And the ^C#mtides ebb and ^F#flow down be^Blow

You served them well for ^G#mfifteen years, your ^Ecanvas all un^F#furled When New ^EEngland sailing ^F#ships were found in ^Bports around the ^F#world But ^Bspars gave way to ^G#msmokestacks, clouds of ^Ewhite to black and ^F#grey There was ^Enothing left for ^F#you to do, but ^Bwaste your time a^F#way And the ^Erot was spreading ^F#slow, down be^Blow

But the winter ^F#is u^Bpon you ^Enow, and ^C#mtime is passing ^F#slow And the ^C#mtides ebb and ^F#flow down be^Blow

From Wiscasset to the ^G#mChina Lakes, the ^ENarrow Gauge did ^F#run And to ^Epush it northward ^F#to Quebec was ^Bold Frank Winter's ^F#plan And the ^Bschooners were to ^G#mbring his cargoes ^Ein to meet the ^F#train When he ^Efound you idle ^F#by the dock, he ^Bbrought you down to ^F#Maine Where the ^Etides ebb and ^F#flow down be^Blow

You know he tried the best he ^G#mcould, but he just ^Ecouldn't make it ^F#pay So he ^Eran you both a^F#ground, and turned a^Bround and walked a^F#way You've been ^Bwaiting here for ^G#mfifty years, but ^Eno one set you ^F#free Now you're ^Ebroken down and ^F#dying, lying ^Bopen to the ^F#sea And the ^Etides ebb and ^F#flow down be^Blow

And the winter ^F#is u^Bpon you ^Enow, and ^C#mtime is passing ^F#slow And the ^C#mtides ebb and ^F#flow down be^Blow

Now the people come to ^G#mstare at you with ^Ewonder in their ^F#eyes For ^Etimes have changed since ^F#men knew how to ^Bwork a ship your ^F#size And the ^Bseas you sailed are ^G#mrunning black, in ^Etime we'll know our ^F#loss It's ^Etoo late now for ^F#you, but is it ^Btoo late now for ^F#us? Can you ^Eteach what you ^F#know before you ^Bgo?

For the winter ^F#is u^Bpon you ^Enow, and ^C#mtime is passing ^F#slow And the ^C#mtides ebb and ^F#flow down be^Blow

For the winter ^F#is u^Bpon you ^Enow, and ^C#mtime is passing ^F#slow And the ^C#mtides ebb and ^F#flow down be^Blow