Safe Upon
The Shore

A girl upon the shore
did ask a favour of the sea
"Return my blue eyed sailor boy
safely back to me
Forgive me if I ask too much
I will not ask for more
but I shall weep until he sleeps
safe upon the shore."

So give a sailor not your heart
lest sorrow you do seek
let true love not be torn apart
by favours from the sea

As though the sea did hear her plea
a vision did appear
the drifting tip of some wrecked ship
came floating ever near
A figure there did cling to it
approaching more and more
as if to ride on some strange tide
safe upon the shore



So give a sailor not your heart
lest sorrow you do seek
let true love not be torn apart
by favours from the sea

My love, she cried as she a spied
the figure on the spar
his clean white shirt was drenched and torn
he must have floated far
She thought with bliss how she would kiss
the lips she did adore
and oh, how sweet to see his feet
safe upon the shore



So give a sailor not your heart
lest sorrow you do seek
let true love not be torn apart
by favours from the sea

As she drew near, she felt the fear
that something was astray
His mouth was slack and his blue eyes
stared blindly at the day
And in a daze, she turned her gaze
from the corpse the driftwood bore
and the cold cold sea pushed ruthlessly,
safe upon the shore



So give a sailor not your heart
lest sorrow you do seek
let true love not be torn apart
by favours from the sea

Now fishermen, they cast their nets
like miners pan for gold
And sailors push off from the docks
and pray the gales will hold
The sea just sits silently
but sometimes, she does more
And someone weeps as her love sleeps
safe upon the shore



So give a sailor not your heart
lest sorrow you do seek
let true love not be torn apart
by favours from the sea