Track 7 of the album Orchard Road · 2015
Fog Horn Lullaby for the Fishing Fleet
“A harbour at dusk with the nets mended and the lanterns lit. I wrote it for the people who stay up to watch the boats.”
country · harbour lullaby · coastal country · 4:06
Lyrics
Down at the harbour the lanterns are lit The nets are all mended, the ropes are knit My father's old coat hangs on the nail Smelling of rain and the turn of a sail The fog rolls in like a slow grey tide And the horn calls out from the other side Low and long, like a hand on the head Time to go home, time for bed Sleep now, sleep now, fishing fleet Let the dark tuck in beneath your feet The horn will sing and the lamp will turn There's a warm kitchen waiting at the end of your return Sleep now, sleep now, rocking in the swell The ones who love you know you well Rest your tired hands and rest your tired eyes We'll keep the harbour light until sunrise I was a child on the old stone quay Counting the boats as they came in from sea Every small light was a name that I knew Every one of them made it through Sleep now, sleep now, fishing fleet Let the dark tuck in beneath your feet The horn will sing and the lamp will turn There's a warm kitchen waiting at the end of your return Sleep now, sleep now, rocking in the swell The ones who love you know you well Rest your tired hands and rest your tired eyes We'll keep the harbour light until sunrise And if you're out there on the road tonight Far from the water but out of sight Let the horn be a voice that says you're near Someone's still listening, someone's still here Sleep now, sleep now, fishing fleet Let the dark tuck in beneath your feet The horn will sing and the lamp will turn There's a warm kitchen waiting at the end of your return Sleep now, sleep now, rocking in the swell The ones who love you know you well Rest your tired hands and rest your tired eyes We'll keep the harbour light until sunrise Sleep now, fishing fleet Sleep now