Christmas at Sea

This page is about the song. For the EP it was released on, click here.
"Christmas at Sea" is a poem by Robert Louis Stevenson, first published in the Scots Observer in 1888. The Longest Johns wrote the musical arrangement themselves and recorded it as the title track of their 2013 Christmas EP.
 Dave and Josh originally shared the lead by alternating stanzas; since Josh's departure from the band, Robbie has usually taken his parts.
==Lyrics==
The sheets were frozen hard, and they cut the naked hand
The decks were like a slide, where a seamen scarce could stand<
The wind was a nor'wester, blowing squally off the sea
And cliffs and spouting breakers were the only things a-lee
They heard the surf a-roaring before the break of day
But 'twas only with the peep of light we saw how ill we lay
We tumbled every hand on deck instanter, with a shout,
And we gave her the maintops'l, and stood by to go about
All day we tacked and tacked between the South Head and the North
All day we hauled the frozen sheets, and got no further forth
All day as cold as charity, in bitter pain and dread,
For very life and nature we tacked from head to head
We gave the South a wider berth, for there the tide-race roared
But every tack we made we brought the North Head close aboard
We saw the cliffs and houses, and the breakers running high,
And the coastguard in his garden, with his glass against his eye
The frost was on the village roofs as white as ocean foam
The good red fires were burning bright in every 'long-shore home
The windows sparkled clear, and the chimneys volleyed out
And I vow we sniffed the victuals as the vessel went about
The bells upon the church were rung with a mighty jovial cheer
For it's just that I should tell you how (of all days in the year)
This day of our adversity was blessed Christmas morn,
And the house above the coastguard's was the house where I was born
O well I saw the pleasant room, the pleasant faces there,
My mother's silver spectacles, my father's silver hair
And well I saw the firelight, like a flight of homely elves,
Go dancing round the china-plates that stand upon the shelves
And well I knew the talk they had, the talk that was of me,
Of the shadow on the household and the son that went to sea
And O the wicked fool I seemed, in every kind of way,
To be here and hauling frozen ropes on blessed Christmas Day
They lit the high sea-light, and the dark began to fall
"All hands to loose topgallant sails," I heard the captain call
"By the Lord, she'll never stand it," our first mate, Jackson, cried
..."It's the one way or the other, Mr. Jackson," he replied
She staggered to her bearings, but the sails were new and good,
And the ship smelt up to windward just as though she understood
As the winter's day was ending, in the entry of the night,
We cleared the weary headland, and passed below the light
And they heaved a mighty breath, every soul on board but me,
As they saw her nose again pointing handsome out to sea
But all that I could think of, in the darkness and the cold,
Was just that I was leaving home and my folks were growing old
==Recordings==
====Streaming/Purchase====
*Amazon Music (EP version)
*Amazon Music (Commodore 1864 version)
*Apple Music/iTunes (EP version)
*Apple Music/iTunes (Commodore 1864 version)
*Bandcamp (EP version)
*Deezer (EP version)
*Deezer (Commodore 1864 version)
*Pandora (EP version)
*Pandora (Commodore 1864 version)
*Spotify (EP version)
*Spotify (Commodore 1864 version)
====YouTube Videos====
*Music Video
*EP version
*Commodore 1864 version
====Full Band Streams====
*TLJ Christmas Party!! (18 Dec 2019)
*It's Beginning To Look A Lot Like Streams-mas (16 Dec 2020)
*It's The Most Wonderful Stream of the Year (22 Dec 2021)
*Hark The Herald Angels Stream (21 Dec 2022)
*It Was Christmas Stream Babe (20 Dec 2023)
Category:Songs
Category:Christmas_at_Sea_(EP)
Category:Commodore 1864
Category:Shared Leads