No More Fish, No Fishermen

Out along the harbour reach Boats stand dried up on the beach Ghost-like in the early dawn Empty now the fish are gone What will become of people now Trying to build a life somehow Hard hard times are back again No more fish, no fishermen No more shoppers in the stores Since the fish plant closed its doors Men who walked a trawler's decks Now line up for welfare cheques There's big "For sale" signs everywhere Pockets empty, cupboards bare See it on the news at ten No more fish, no fishermen Once from Ship Cove to Cape Race Port-au-basques to Harbour Grace Newfoundlanders fished for cod Owing merchants trusting God They filled their dories twice a day They fished their poor sweet lives away They could not imagine then No more fish, no fishermen Back before the second war We could catch our fish inshore Boats were small and gear was rough We caught fish but left enough And now there's no more fish because The trawler fleets took all there was We could see it coming then No more fish, no fishermen Farewell now to stage and flake Get out for the children's sake Leave all friends and kin behind Take whatever job you find There's some that say things aren't so black They say the fish will all come back Who'll be here to catch them then No more fish, no fishermen