And the people down below will soon be dyin'
She's seen the better times
Oh Lord, how well it burns
In the playin' of the band
Yarmouth Castle, she's a-dyin' and don't know it
Like a toy ship on a mill pond
Oh then the ship, Bahama Star
Tells the Castle she's too old to be sailin'
The ones who lived to tell
Upon this awful day"
From the Star they watched her
The captain stands aloft
For the ragged hoses in the racks
And others say goodnight
She gives a groan of protest
And they're fallin' in their tracks
It's spreadin' fore and aft
Is she cryin' for the ones who lie
Deep within the Yarmouth Castle
As they cast away her lines
Or cryin' for herself, I'm a-wonderin'
There's many who are sleepin' now
And they're havin' such a time
And 'tis a terrible sight
And the rust along her spine
It's been a busy day
And the moon is shinin' bright
And now from stern to bow, she's a-blazin'
Within her molten sides?
A tiny spark glows red
And a tiny wisp of smoke is a-risin'
Let someone understand"
You can hear her if you listen
And the drinks are passed around
She burned all through the night
She's bound across the waves
Everybody's dancin' on her deck
Now it's midnight on the open sea
And cannot find the way
The people are a-scramblin'
Deep within the fire starts a-burnin'
As the fire blocks their path
He calls up to the boatswain, says
"God help the ones who sleep below
Now the dinner's served and the cards are dealt
All amidships, oh she's blazin' now
Into the open sea
And the captain in his lifeboat is a-leavin'
Oh the Yarmouth Castle's moanin'
Some people join the party
"We'll save you if we can"
It smolders through the evening
Comes steamin' through the night
The evil smoke surrounds them
Then the paint on his funnels is a-fryin'
But the livin' soon were rescued
"Jump down, jump down", the captain cries
Above the roar so wild
No pressure do they hold
Up beneath the bridge it's climbin' fast
But her silent plea is wasted
"Oh Lord," she groans, "I'm burning
There's laughter overhead
Now the many years she's been to sea
She sees the Castle blazin'
It leaps into the hallways
She's cryin' like a child
She'll be headin' south through Biscayne Bay
And climbs and twists and grows
The fire begins to glow
But the sands run out within her heart
And a voice says, "Shut up and deal, I'm losin'"
Now the heroes, they are many
And soon that old fire is a-ragin'
As she died there in the swells
And the grumble of her engines
"Boatswain, we are lost"
But the times are growin' slim
Thank God for those we rescue
From Miami to Nassau
And the paint she wore to keep her young
