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
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> And cliffs and spouting breakers were the only things a-lee
>
>
>
> They heard the surf a-roaring before the break of day
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> But 'twas only with the peep of light we saw how ill we lay
>
> We tumbled every hand on deck instanter, with a shout,
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> 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
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> All day we hauled the frozen sheets, and got no further forth
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> All day as cold as charity, in bitter pain and dread,
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> For very life and nature we tacked from head to head
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>
>
> We gave the South a wider berth, for there the tide-race roared
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> But every tack we made we brought the North Head close aboard
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> We saw the cliffs and houses, and the breakers running high,
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> And the coastguard in his garden, with his glass against his eye
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>
>
> The frost was on the village roofs as white as ocean foam
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> The good red fires were burning bright in every 'long-shore home
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> The windows sparkled clear, and the chimneys volleyed out
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> And I vow we sniffed the victuals as the vessel went about
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>
>
> The bells upon the church were rung with a mighty jovial cheer
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> For it's just that I should tell you how (of all days in the year)
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> This day of our adversity was blessed Christmas morn,
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> And the house above the coastguard's was the house where I was born
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>
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> O well I saw the pleasant room, the pleasant faces there,
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> My mother's silver spectacles, my father's silver hair
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> And well I saw the firelight, like a flight of homely elves,
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> Go dancing round the china-plates that stand upon the shelves
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>
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> And well I knew the talk they had, the talk that was of me,
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> Of the shadow on the household and the son that went to sea
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> And O the wicked fool I seemed, in every kind of way,
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> To be here and hauling frozen ropes on blessed Christmas Day
>
>
>
> They lit the high sea-light, and the dark began to fall
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> "All hands to loose topgallant sails," I heard the captain call
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> "By the Lord, she'll never stand it," our first mate, Jackson, cried
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> ..."It's the one way or the other, Mr. Jackson," he replied
>
>
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> She staggered to her bearings, but the sails were new and good,
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> And the ship smelt up to windward just as though she understood
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> As the winter's day was ending, in the entry of the night,
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> We cleared the weary headland, and passed below the light
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>
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> And they heaved a mighty breath, every soul on board but me,
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> As they saw her nose again pointing handsome out to sea
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> But all that I could think of, in the darkness and the cold,
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> Was just that I was leaving home and my folks were growing old
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>
>
>

## 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)