The Last Nail is the title of my latest new Andy Roberts song, it's a folk song ballad sea shanty whatever that laments the closing of a boatyard inspired by the story of St Monan's in Fife, Scotland where I spent some time recently. Hers is the video of the first live performance of The Last Nail at Havering Folk Club on Wednesday March 17th, St Patrick's Day as it happens. These are the Lyrics to The Last Nail:Above the stone walled harbour, or down the winding hillThat's where they built the boatyard, and the structure stands there still.Not much boat building happens now, just repairs and fitting outbut when the wind rattles the boatmasts, you can hear the old boatbulders shout: Will you pass the last nail over and I'll knock it into place,Then with four more coats of varnish, she'll be ready for the race.Our grandfathers put up the boatyard, to build the fishing fleet, more than fifty boats in the harbour, and shops all down the main streetthen the steam age brought in the drifters, boat builders became engineersNow the wind blows straight through the boatyard, there'll be no more boat building hereWill you pass the last nail over and I'll knock it into place,Then with four more coats of varnish, she'll be ready for the race.With a keen eye for staying in business, they switched over to build leisure craft And the weekend yachtsmen snapped them up, no expense spared fore or aftThen wooden hulls went out of fashion, the order book emptied last yearSo the bankers foreclosed on the boatyard,and there'll be no more boatbuilding hereWill you pass the last nail over and I'll knock it into place,Then with four more coats of varnish, she'll be ready for the race.Now the Vikings invented the clinker for both strength and shallow seasand the herring boats followed the coastline, until the canning ships found the keyThere's a regatta here every August, and the whole village turns out againBut the Sea Queen's no real competition, and it's guaranteed to rainWill you pass the last nail over and I'll knock it into place,Then with four more coats of varnish, she'll be ready for the race.Above the stone walled harbour, or down the winding hillthat's where they built the boatyard, and the skeleton stands there still.No more boat building happens now, not even fitting outbut when the wind rattles the boatmasts, you can still hear the old boys shout:Will you pass the last nail over, we'll knock it into place,Then with four more coats of varnish, she'll be ready for the race.
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I posted to andyrobertsmusic.blogspot.com
The Last Nail
http://andyrobertsmusic.blogspot.com/2010/03/last-nail.html
March 19 2010, 7:22am | Comments »
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