Fiddler's Green
Fo'c'sle Song
©1968 John Connolly

[This is how Bounding Main has come to sing this song]
As I walked by the dockside one evening so rare,
To view the still waters and take the salt air 
I spied an old sailorman singing this song:
"Oh take me away boys my time is not long."

    Chorus:
    Wrap me up in my oilskins and jumpers
    No more by the docks I'll be seen
    Just tell my old shipmates I'm taking a trip mates
    I'll see you some day on Fiddler's Green

Now Fiddler's Green is a place I've heard tell
Where fishermen go if they don't go to hell
Where the weather is fair and the dolphins do play 
And the cold coast of England is far far away  (Chorus)

And when you're in dock and the long trip is through 
There's pubs and there's clubs and there's lassies there too
The girls are all pretty and the beer is all free 
And there's bottles o' rum growing on every tree  (Chorus)

Oh I don't want a harp, nor a halo, not me,
Just give me a breeze and the good rollin' sea,
I'll play me old squeeze-box as we sail along
With the wind in the riggin', I'll sing me this song  (Chorus)

[These are the original lyrics, directly from John Conolly]

As I roved by the dockside one evening so rare,
To view the still waters and take the salt air –
I heard an old fisherman, singing this song -
“Oh, take me away, boys, me time is not long”

    CHORUS: Dress me up in me oilskins and jumper –
    No more on the docks I’ll be seen –
    Just tell me old shipmates, I’m taking a trip, mates,
    And I’ll see you some day, in Fiddlers’ Green …

Now, Fiddlers’ Green is a place, I’ve heard tell,
Where fishermen go if they don’t go to Hell –
Where the weather is fair, and the dolphins do play –
And the cold coast of Greenland is far, far away …

The sky’s always clear, and there’s never a gale –
And the fish jump on board with a flip of their tails –
You can lie at your leisure, there’s no work to do –
And the Skipper’s below, making tea for the crew …

And when you’re in dock, and the long trip is through –
There’s pubs and there’s clubs, and there’s lasses there too –
The girls are all pretty, the beer is all free –
And there’s bottles of rum, growing on every tree …

I don’t want a harp nor a halo, not me –
Just give me a breeze and a good rolling sea –
And I’ll play me old squeezebox as we sail along –
With the wind in the rigging, to sing me this song …