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about

My Nova Scotia roots have always drawn me to sea shanties and maritime ballads. I’ve never sailed myself, but I do know that when contemplating a life change, it’s more satisfying to seek the unknown than to stay safe in the harbour.

lyrics

As the sun’s going down on a seafaring town
Johnny heads down to the bar
It’s a smoky old dive where he feels most alive
With the sailors come in from adventures afar

He’s a sailor himself and in very good health
For he’s never been out on the sea
But he dresses the part and he sings from the heart
Of the ocean-bound vessel where he’d rather be

But he’s never set sail on the briny
Never been tossed by the wind and the foam
He’s always been safe in the harbour
He’s a sailor who’s never left home

He knows all the shanties, he knows a good brandy
He knows he’d do well if he tried
But when the lads travel on at the breaking of dawn
The town will still be here with Johnny inside

He longs to tell stories and share in the glories
Of wild lands along distant shores
But he gets all unnervy when he hears about scurvy
And the monsters and mermaids that wait overboard

Then one day in July, Johnny made up his mind
He knew just what he had to do
He packed his belongings and whistling a song
He boarded a ship and joined up with the crew

But the week they set sail, they got caught in a gale
Just off the Barbary Coast
And with the waves’ constant pounding, the ship swung around
And Johnny the sailor was thrown from the boat

It then dawned on him that he’d not learned to swim
And his head was forced down by the waves
As he sank like a stone to the deep Davy Jones
He knew in his mind that his life had been saved

For he’d finally set sail on the briny
Finally been tossed by the wind and the foam
He’s stepped off the shore and he’ll not be no more
The sailor who never left home

credits

from Let It Rest, Let It Rise, released February 14, 2020
Nathan Smith - guitar, lead vocals
Emilyn Stam - accordion, vocals
Anh Phung - flute, vocals
Alan Mackie - bass, vocals
Don Kerr - vocals

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Nathan Smith Toronto, Ontario

Nathan Smith is a fiddle player and singer in Toronto, ON, Canada. His upbeat and soulful original songs and fiddle tunes evoke bluegrass and old-time combined with his upbringing playing traditional Canadian fiddle music. Nathan also plays with Toronto Bluegrass band The Barrel Boys. ... more

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