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lyrics

A hundred whales a year at the peak of his career
And in between ten hundred thousand fish
Twice a week she would appear at the Straight Street pier
Where every able seaman got his wish

There was plenty half again, Captain Cathcart loved his gin
He gave a daily ration to the crew
He danced a blinding jig every time they hit it big
When the lookout lubber sounded thar she blew
Then the skipper would give chase / as they heaved into the race
In the eye of the beast every sailor saw his face

Chorus: The Ghost of Ontario sailed into the night
All the way from Nantucket to Cape John
How he ever found the way into St. George’s Bay
Harpoon and a live one hangin’ on
… And she dragged ‘em all the way to Cape Breton

In the town there was a rumor of a whale that dragged a schooner
Halfway back to Ireland in a tick
It was Halloween night but Cathcart wouldn’t bite
He could tell-she-weren’t-no-Moby Dick
But when they gaffed her in the side they were in for a ride
Straight off the Bay-of-Rocks with no place to hide

Bridge: I was clingin’ to the wreckage with a few survivors left
The lucky ones among us left for dead
I could swear I heard her creakin’ in the wind from the west
But we never saw it comin’ up ahead

They say he roams the oceans just lookin’ for a fight
Though his ship went down a thousand miles from land
He haunts the Coffin House for liquor every night
A telescope and a pistol in hand
No tide that came his way could ever drown that thirst
No hurricanes or icebergs (Act of God) could lift that mighty curse

credits

from Gael Day (temporarily out of stock - downloads still available!, released March 17, 2009
By Brent Hoad, Stephen Phillips, Norman Dahlor, Ian Byrne
© The Elders 2009

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The Elders Kansas City, Missouri

The Elders were founded in 1998 by six musicians with a passion for music rooted in Irish jigs & reels & American folk rock. Their original songs offer delightful story lines, with vibrant narratives that explore history, legends, tall tales and true-life experiences ... more

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