The Shoals of Herring
Peggy Seeger Lyrics


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With our nets and gear we're faring
On the wild and wasteful ocean.
Its there that we hunt and we earn our bread
As we hunted for the shoals of herring

O it was a fine and a pleasant day
Out of Yarmouth harbor I was faring
As a cabinboy on a sailing lugger
For to go and hunt the shoals of herring

O the work was hard and the hours long
And the treatment, sure it took some bearing
There was little kindness and the kicks were many
As we hunted for the shoals of herring

O we fished the Swarth and the Broken Bank
I was cook and I'd a quarter sharing
And I used to sleep standing on my feet
And I'd dream about the shoals of herring

O we left the homegrounds in the month of June
And to Canny Shiels we soon were bearing
With a hundred cran of silver darlings
That we'd taken from the shoals of herring

Now you're up on deck, you're a fisherman
You can swear and show a manly bearing
Take your turn on watch with the other fellows
While you're searching for the shoals of herring

In the stormy seas and the living gales
Just to earn your daily bread you're daring
From the Dover Straits to the Faroe Islands
As you're following the shoals of herring

O I earned my keep and I paid my way
And I earned the gear that I was wearing




Sailed a million miles, caught ten million fishes
We were sailing after shoals of herring

Overall Meaning

The Shoals of Herring, written by Scottish folk singer Ewan MacColl, tells the tale of hard-working fishermen in the North Sea who risk their lives to search for the shoals of herring. The song is dripping with imagery related to the sea, detailing the harsh and deadly conditions in which these men work. The lyrics describe the work as being hard, the hours long and grueling, and the treatment from their captains to be rough - including "little kindness and many kicks." Despite the tough life, the fishermen hold their heads high with a "manly bearing," proud of their work and ability to earn their keep.


The song is told from the perspective of a cabin boy who has sailed a million miles and caught ten million fish. He describes the journey from the home grounds to Canny Shiels, capturing 100 cran of silver darlings along the way, emphasizing the theme of hard work, endurance, and the pride these workers take in their craft.


One interesting fact about the song is that is has been covered by numerous artists, including The Dubliners, The Clancy Brothers, and Joan Baez. It has also been translated into other languages, including Swedish and Dutch. Another fact is that Peggy Seeger, who wrote her own version of the song, was married to Ewan MacColl, the original songwriter. The Shoals of Herring has become a staple of Scottish and Irish folk music, and its vivid portrayal of the dangers and hardships of life at sea continue to resonate with listeners today.


Chords: D G D A, G D A D


Line by Line Meaning

With our nets and gear we're faring
We're venturing out on the rough and unpredictable sea with our equipment and tools


On the wild and wasteful ocean.
We're out on the vast and untamed sea, unsure of what awaits us


Its there that we hunt and we earn our bread
We work hard to catch fish and make a living out here, it's our livelihood


As we hunted for the shoals of herring
We're specifically searching for herring, a type of fish, to bring us profit


O it was a fine and a pleasant day
The weather was beautiful and enjoyable


Out of Yarmouth harbor I was faring
I was departing from the harbor of a town called Yarmouth


As a cabinboy on a sailing lugger
I was working as a cabin boy on a small sailing ship


For to go and hunt the shoals of herring
My purpose was to join the crew in searching for herring


O the work was hard and the hours long
Our job demanded a lot of physical labor and we worked for extended periods of time


And the treatment, sure it took some bearing
Enduring the harsh conditions and treatment was not easy, but we did what we had to do


There was little kindness and the kicks were many
The crew wasn't always kind, and sometimes they would even physically abuse us


As we hunted for the shoals of herring
Despite the difficult circumstances, we kept searching for herring


O we fished the Swarth and the Broken Bank
We spent our time fishing in particular areas called Swarth and Broken Bank


I was cook and I'd a quarter sharing
I was responsible for cooking, and I received a portion of the catch as payment


And I used to sleep standing on my feet
I was so tired that I slept while standing up


And I'd dream about the shoals of herring
Even in my sleep, herring was on my mind


O we left the homegrounds in the month of June
We departed from our home territory in June


And to Canny Shiels we soon were bearing
We quickly made our way to a place called Canny Shiels


With a hundred cran of silver darlings
Our catch amounted to one hundred cran of herring, also known as silver darlings


That we'd taken from the shoals of herring
We were successful in catching herring on this particular voyage


Now you're up on deck, you're a fisherman
If you're on deck, you're considered a fisherman


You can swear and show a manly bearing
You're allowed to express yourself freely, and display a sense of masculinity


Take your turn on watch with the other fellows
Keep watch with the other crew members when it's your turn


While you're searching for the shoals of herring
This task is a continued effort - we're always searching for herring


In the stormy seas and the living gales
We face extremely difficult conditions and rough weather


Just to earn your daily bread you're daring
Our work is risky, but we do it anyway to make a living


From the Dover Straits to the Faroe Islands
We're constantly traveling, fishing in different regions, such as Dover Straits and Faroe Islands


As you're following the shoals of herring
Our goal continues to be catching herring


O I earned my keep and I paid my way
I made enough to support myself and pay for my own expenses


And I earned the gear that I was wearing
I was able to buy and own the equipment that I needed for fishing


Sailed a million miles, caught ten million fishes
Over the course of my career, I've traveled a million miles and caught an extraordinary amount of fish


We were sailing after shoals of herring
Our focus was solely on catching herring, and we spent much of our time and energy pursuing that goal




Lyrics © THE BICYCLE MUSIC COMPANY
Written by: EWAN MACCOLL

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Comments from YouTube:

@rachelgilders130

Takes me right back.....1960s folk club ..... was just on the radio I’d quite forgotten....wonderful - thank you for posting it.

@Shandchem

I never tire of listening to this amazing song which tells a real story!

@alisdairmclean8605

Same here.

@Dark-Valley

Legend Old Song 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿🇮🇪 Amazing and true among Best Song from North Celtic Folk Forever.

@riceblues7548

It ain't a folk song, it was written by the man himself for a bbc documentation about herring fishers.

@Dark-Valley

@@riceblues7548 of courses isn't a folk music of Celtic countries. But I mean the song follow the Style of old Celtic and this balad Song is mainly Scottish.

@waveydaveyspoonerbooner205

bloody ace, feels like home.

@Spacethang3259

Mesmerizing.

@probono3284

Fantastic, a brilliant rendition - but the title’s misleading as there’s no singing by Peggy Seeger - presumably she was credited for making the tea!

@sonicwindpipe

shes most likely playing harp or guitar or whatever that is

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