Lyrics

Come all ye Newfoundlanders, I’ll sing for ye a song
I promise if ye will attend I won’t delay ye long
It’s of two men from Brule wanting to have some fun
They went up to St. Peter’s to bring back a load of rum.

The day it being a fine one and the sun was shining bright
When those two men from Brule arrived there just at night
they took on board a heavy stock and then the wind veered down
They then set sail for Brule, leaving St. Peter’s town.

They runned her for St. Lawrence and the sky looked kind of black
Our skipper said: “Now we’ll go in where we can take a nap.”
We anchored round the point of the beach and put their line ashore
Our skipper said: “Now we can sleep while the wind and sea do roar.”

That night the storm kept raging, but we came through all right
And when the water smoothened down twas then we put her out
Being late up in the evening, the sky looked kind of clear
But very shortly after, the wind began to veer.

The wind came from the east’ard, and the sky fell thick with snow
And now the storm is raging, he says: “Where can we go?
We have no compass for a guide, no means to make a light.”
The waters still washed over them on that cold winter’s night.

“We must give up and pray to God,” our skipper he did say
“For we can’t live no longer, for this is our last day!”
They thought of friends and loved ones whom they had left on shore
And took each other by the hand to part forevermore.

O who can tell the feeling of those two Brule men
Tossed on the stormy ocean with nothing to comfort them
The blood was frozen in their veins, the salt tears in their eyes
They raised their eyes to heaven above, and they muttered mournful cries.

They drifted before wind and sea all that long cruel night
And when the daylight cleared away, no land or strand in sight
But very shortly after, a vessel hove in sight
The captain’s name was Harvey, was out that long winter’s night.

When Harvey saw them coming, he called: “All hands on deck
O come and look to wind’ard and see that little jack
Have we no means of saving them?” he asked unto his crew
“Get ropes and lifeboats ready and we’ll see what we can do.”

Those men got near that vessel, hailing with all their might
Crying: “Save us, captain, save us — do try to save our lives!”
There was no time for talking, he told them what to do
“Just run around our quarter, and then heave her head to.”

In the shelter of the vessel drifted this little jack.
When they got hold of those two men, they dragged them in on deck
And took them to the cabin where they were treated kind
And placed them by a hard-coal fire and gave them boiled claret wine.

Now Harvey he gave orders, unto his men did say:
“The wind is on the drop, me boys, so get her underway
Go trim your canvas by the wind and then we’ll reef her down.”
And on the following evening we arrived at Marystown.

O telegrams were soon dispatched unto their friends and wives
And said how Harvey picked them up and saved their precious lives
Theirselves will tell teh story on some cold winter’s night
In praise of Captain Harvey who saved their precious lives.

It was the hand of Providence that brought him in this bay
And saved those men from Brule, all for a longer day
They thought their time had come to go their friends to see no more
And now they’re safely landed once more on Brule shore.

Before that I do finish, for Harvey I must say
“May the great God protect him while sailing on the sea
And grant him all the pleasure in every port he’ll find
For saving those two Brule men and acting very kind.”

Come all ye men from Brule, I”ll have ye to beware
Don’t ye go to St. Peter’s till the springtime of the year
While winter storms are raging I’m afraid you’ll get a fright.
For Harvey won’t be always there waiting to save your life!

 

Lyrics from: Lehr, Genevieve, and Anita Best. 1985. Come and I will Sing You: A Newfoundland Songbook. Toronto and Buffalo: University of Toronto Press, pp 23-24.