Robert Mackenzie 32 men on a Great Lakes boat Quit the pier at Thunder Bay 28,000 tons of coal On a cold November day 800 feet and 10 more long 80 feet across The steel mills of Detroit Our destination through the frost At 2 AM on the 2nd Waves were runnin' up to 40 feet Winds were blowing 60 miles Our engines crankin' heat At 3:13 we took a wave Our wheelhouse left behind The radar slipped beneath the waves And we were runnin' blind Hear me call across the waves If I don't come home tonight I will make it home some day (Steel boats and iron men) 32 down on the Robert Mackenzie (Steel boats and iron men) 32 down on the Robert Mackenzie (Steel boats and iron men) 32 down on the Robert Mackenzie A captain name of Phillips Seekin' shelter from the storm Turned us south of Bte Grise Bay By way of Keweenaw Point But the wind was blowing at such a rate We ended up driftin' north A wave broke over a knife of rock Six Fathom Shoal Mackenzie she was cut in half The stern she rammed the bow The men were caught in metal jaws Flames burned out of hell Stern kept runnin' all her lights ablaze Not one man would be found Captain's last transmission read 32 men down 32 men down Hear me call across the waves If I don't come home tonight I will make it home some