Oh, it was a fine and a pleasant day
Out of Yarmouth harbour I was faring
As a cabin boy, on a sailing lugger
For the hunt the bonny shoals of herring

Now you're up on deck, you're a fisherman
You can swear and show a manly bearing
Take a turn on watch with the other fellers
As you're hunting for the shoals of herring

Well, I earned my keep and I paid my way
And I earned the gear that I was wearing
Sailed a million miles, caught ten million fishes
We were dream after shoals of herring

Night and day, the seas we're [bad word] wind or calm or winter gale
Sweating or cold, growing up, growing old
Or dying
As we dream about the shoals of herring