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THE LONG AWA' SHIP Scottish Sea Song Lead vocal and fiddle: Peter Harmony, guitar and tinwhistle: Richard

Written by Isabella Boyd (1808-1888), found in Nigel Gatherer's Songs and Ballads of Dundee.

LYRICS:

On a bonny green knowe by the side of the sea
Sat a sailor's wife and her bairnies three
And they sang as the wee waves gaed and cam'
"It's braw to sit and see the ships comin' in"

Chorus:
Oh, it's braw to sit and see the ships comin' in
Oh, it's braw to sit and see the ships comin' in
They sang at the wee waves gait and cam'
It's braw to sit and see the ships comin' in

Oh, an outward bound may be fair to see
Wi' the white sails set to the breezes free
But to gladden the heart I'm sure there's nane
Like the sicht o' the lang awa' ship comin' hame

A wee boat has left the big ship's side
It skims ower the tap o' the glancin' tide
The keel's on the beach, and the sailor free
He's hame to his wife and his bairnies three

To a canty ingle and a clean hearth stane
They welcome the sailor to his hame again
And wi' gratefu' hearts they praise His name
Wha's power gar'd the lang awa chip come hame