Great Lakes Song

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The Great Lakes Song - Performed by Pat Dailey

Written by Pat Dailey & Shel Silverstein

The Great Lakes are a diamond on the hand of North America

Brightly shining jewel on the friendship bordering

Freshwater highway coming down from Canada

All along the shoreline, you can hear them sing

Sweet mother Michigan, father Superior

Coming down from Mackinac and Sault St. Marie

Blue water Huron, Flow down to Lake Erie-O

Fall to Ontario and run on out to sea

Hearty are the seamen on the ships that load the iron ore

Sailing out of Thunder Bay and bound for Buffalo

Hearty are the fishermen just like their fathers were before

Say they'll bury me at sea come my time to go

(chorus)

Oh the tales the sailors spin of mermaids singing in the wind

the sinking of the Bessemer, the drowning of the crew

Memories of waters crossed of women won and fortunes lost

Are etched upon their faces and their faded old tatoos

Down below the quarter decks the old men mend the fishing nets

Up above the windy bridge the young men curse into the wind

All along the winds of straits(?) the wives and mothers lie awake

Pray on lady of the lake to send them home again

(chorus)

(chorus)