Back to the Harbour
I’m a dog from Petty Harbour
Like my father was before
And I left to make a living
Up and down the southern shore
Some say it’s hard to find a fortune
In the flurries and the fog
But you can’t hide a bone
From a Petty Harbour dog
I was a child that had four children
Or maybe they had me
They gave me something to believe in
But four more mouths to feed
I wasn’t born to work the water
Nor my father before me
So I had to hit the highroads
Be whatever I could be
We’ll finish where we started
All those hungry years ago
When we rose up in the darkness
And hitched a ride from home
But we’ll find a light to guide us
Somewhere in the setting sun
And we’ll go back to the harbour
When we’re done
I blew the frost out of the window
And watched you walking down the hill
With a smile and a thumb and a ten-mile run
And a twelve hour shift to kill
Sure, you, you were no different
With a knapsack on your back
Bread and butter from your mother
A guitar in a garbage bag
We’ll finish where we started
All those hungry years ago
When we rose up in the darkness
And hitched a ride from home
But we’ll find a light to guide us
Somewhere in the setting sun
And we’ll go back to the Harbour
When we’re done
—
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