Ballad Of Yarmouth Castle
Written and sung by Gordon Lightfoot

Well, it’s four o’clock in the afternoonAnd the anchors
have been weighedFrom miami to nassau,She’s bound
across the wavesShe’ll be headin’ south through
biscayne bayInto the open seaYarmouth castle, she’s
a-dyin’ and don’t know itNow the many years she’s
been to seaShe’s seen the better timesShe gives a
groan of protestAs they cast away her linesAnd
the grumble of her enginesAnd the rust along her spineTells the castle she’s too old to be sailin’But
the sands run out within her heartA tiny spark glows
redIt smoulders through the eveningThere’s laughter
overheadNow the men are served, and the cards are
dealtAnd the drinks are passed aroundDeep within the
fire starts a-burnin’Now it’s midnight on the open
seaAnd the moon is shining brightSome people join
the partyAnd others say good-nightThere’s many
who are sleeping nowIt’s been a busy dayAnd a tiny
wisp of smoke is a-risin’Oh lord, she groans, I’m
burning!Let someone understand!But her silent plea
is wastedIn the playin’ of the bandEverybody’s
dancin’ on her deckAnd they’re havin’ such a timeThen a voice saysShut up and deal, I’m losin’Deep within the yarmouth castleThe fire begins to
glowIt leaps into the hallwaysAnd climbs and twists
and growsAnd the paint she wore to keep her youngOh lord, how well it burnsAnd soon that old fire is
a-ragin’Up beneath the bridge it’s climbin’ fastThe captain stands aloftHe calls up to the boatswain,
’n’ saysBoatswain, we are lostFor the ragged
hoses in the racksNo pressure do they holdAnd the
people down belowWill soon be dyin’All
amidships, oh she’s blazin’ nowIt’s spreadin’ fore and
aftThe people are a-scramblin’As the fire blocks
their pathThe evil smoke surrounds them,And
they’re fallin’ in their tracksAnd the captain in his
lifeboat is a-leavin’Oh then the ship, bahama
starComes steamin’ through the nightShe sees the
castle blazin’And ’tis a terrible sightJump
down, jump down! the captain criesWe’ll save you if we
can!Then the paint on his funnels is a-fryin’God help the ones who sleep belowAnd cannot find the
way!Thank God for those we’ve rescuedUpon this awful
day.Now the heroes, they are many,But the
times are growin’ slimAnd now from stern to bowShe’s
a-blazin’Oh the yarmouth castle’s moanin’She’s
cryin’ like a child.You can hear her if you listenAbove the roar so wildIs she cryin’ for the ones
who lieWithin her molten sides? Or cryin’ for
herself, I’m a-wonderin’But the livin’ soon were
rescuedThe ones who lived to tellFrom the star they
watched herAs she died there in the swellsLike
a toy ship on a mill pondShe burned all through the
nightThen slipped ’neath the wavesIn the mornin’