Deep Water

Poem by Cicely Fox Smith, Music by Daniel Kelly

  G       C       G
Sink her in deep water
           G       Bm     C
Where her proud sisters lie,
G            C       G       D
Wrecked in storm or sunk in fight
         C        G
In the times gone by;
G              C       G
Far from the tides' turmoil,
Bm                 C
From the wind and sun,
G            C    G
Sink her in deep water,
         C       G
Now her day is done.

All the brave memories
Of her eight-score years —
The thrill of the chase, the capture,
The boarders' cheer,
The riddled ensign flying
In the cannon's hot breath,
And the fierce grapeshot crying
Its thin song of death;

The decks once reddened
With the blood she saw flow
For the dreams of an emperor,
Dust long ago —
All she wrought for, all she fought for,
In her great days past —
Let the sea's salt oblivion
Take at last!