I HEAR SONGS       Nigel Hallworth  2012

I hear songs
I hear songs, sweet fishermen’s’ songs
They’re home from sea
Home from sea

And are all of our men come safely home
And are none of us widows left alone
Widows left alone
Left alone

I see clouds
I see clouds of demolition dust
Across the bay.
Newlyn way.

You’ll all have had your say you’ve had your chance
Said the council men from proud Penzance
Now we’ll have our way
Have our way.

I hear wind
I hear wind, wild whistling wind
See scudding cloud
Scudding cloud

While I’m home in bed it terrifies me
What will it be like on the howling sea
Out on the howling sea
Howling sea.

They see slums
They see slums and accountants sums
And they all add up
All add up.

They want to scat Newlyn Town down to make
A pretty Penzance housing estate
Pretty Penzance estate
Up Chywoon hill.

I hear waves
I hear waves, tall towering tons,
Of curling crests
Thundering

Oh was ever a little ship made so strong
So to stand to the ocean’s shuddering song
Shuddering shuddering song.
Shuddering song.

We see homes
We see homes be they ever so poor
They’re home to we
By the sea.

But there’s some soft souls they’ll have had their wish
Gone Gwarvas away from the smell of fish
And smells that’s worse than fish
Worse than fish.

I hear songs
I hear songs,
Sweet fishermens’ songs
They’re home from sea
Home from sea