One Hundred Feet

"One Hundred Feet" is a Longest Johns original written by Robbie Sattin, released as track 10 on Voyage. The song is based on the true story of the wreck of HMY Iolaire just after the end of World War I.
Iolaire was a luxury yacht that had been commandeered for the war effort in 1915. On 31 Dec 1918, mere weeks after the armistice, it was transporting servicemen home from the Scottish mainland to the Isle of Lewis in the Outer Hebrides. Faced with an unexpected rush of sailors eager to get home for the New Year, the captain agreed to overload the vessel, departing with over 280 men aboard, despite having safety equipment for less than 100. As they crossed the Minch, the weather worsened, and just before 2 AM the vessel struck a group of rocks at the entrance to Stornoway Harbour and began to sink, less than a mile from their destination and a mere 20-30 yards from shore. Some men tried to swim to shore, while others attempted to clamber along a nearby rocky ledge, but many were unable to negotiate the choppy seas in their winter gear and heavy boots, or were dashed against the rocks by the violent waves.https://web.archive.org/web/20030122231936/http://c-e-n.org/iolaire.htm
One man, John F. Macleod, managed to get to shore with the end of a rope in tow and secure it there, allowing some 40 others to pull themselves along the line to safety. Several others clung to the rigging, part of which remained above the waves even after the sinking, but by the time rescuers could reach the vessel some eight hours later, only one man remained.http://www.adb422006.com/iolaire.html
All told, there were only 79 survivors. The Isle of Lewis, which only had a population of around 30,000 to begin with, had sent 6,200 men to the war, 800 of whom had already perished;https://www.independent.co.uk/voices/new-year-s-day-1919-a-private-tragedy-at-lewis-1397469.html the loss of another 200 men, especially under such tragic circumstances, was a further blow to an already decimated community.https://stornowayhistoricalsociety.org.uk/iolaire/
==Lyrics==
As performed on Voyage.
All the years of waiting for the boys to come back home;
Hear the stories they could tell, and see how much they've grown.
In the night I think about the lives they could have led,
Cut short at the finish line, no more the earth to tread.
{Chorus}
One hundred feet from shore,
We will hear their voice no more,
Though I’d swear I heard them calling on the wind.
One hundred feet from shore,
In the waters evermore,
Forever there, one hundred feet from shore.
"Man the boats," I heard them cry, "the ship is going down."
Such a storm has rocked her bow, she’s bound to run a-ground.
Scramble down the towing lines, but many can’t escape,
Fighting for their lives again, so close to home they wait.
{Chorus}
Many swam through freezing water, for all that they could stand,
Sodden boots and winter coats grew heavy with the damp.
Struggled on for precious life until it slipped from reach,
Their souls arise to leave their bodies washed up on the beach.
{Chorus}
Dodging bullets, loading shells and hauling heavy gear;
The war it couldn’t take them, but the sea holds nothing dear.
A hundred years and more it’s been, the sorrow lingers on.
Families keep the memories of the ones they lost so young.
One hundred feet from shore,
We will hear their voice no more,
Though I’d swear I heard them calling on the wind.
One hundred feet from shore,
In the waters evermore, all in the oceans roar,
One hundred feet from shore.
In the waters evermore,
One hundred feet from shore.
==Recordings==
====Stream/Purchase====
*Amazon
*Anghami
*Apple Music/iTunes
*Bandcamp
*Deezer
*Pandora
*Spotify
*Tidal
====YouTube Videos====
*Album version
====Full Band Streams====
*Stream (6 Mar 2024)
Category:Songs
Category:Robbie Songs
Category:Longest Johns Originals
Category:Voyage