The Shoals Of Herring chords by Ewan Maccoll

Intro:

G                 C          G
With our nets and gear we're faring

G                        D   G
On the wild and wasteful ocean

G                          C           G
Its there that we hunt and we earn our bread

G                    C         D     G
As we hunted for the shoals of herring


Verse 1:

G                     C        G
O it was a fine and a pleasant day

G                            D
Out of Yarmouth harbor I was faring

D    G             C       G
As a cabinboy on a sailing lugger

G                      C         D     G
For to go and hunt the shoals of herring


Verse 2:

G                           C     G
O the work was hard and the hours long

G                                    D
And the treatment, sure it took some bearing

D         G                        C          G
There was little kindness and the kicks were many

G                    C         D     G
As we hunted for the shoals of herring


Verse 3:

G                              C      G
O we fished the Swarth and the Broken Bank

G                    C       D
I was cook and I'd a quarter sharing

D     G                       C      G
And I used to sleep standing on my feet

G                       C         D     G
And I'd dream about the shoals of herring


Verse 4:

G                                C         G
O we left the homegrounds in the month of June

G                      C         D
And to Canny Shiels we soon were bearing

D      G                C      G
With a hundred cran of silver darlings

G                        C         D     G
That we'd taken from the shoals of herring


Verse 5:

G                      C        G
Now you're up on deck, you're a fisherman

G                              D
You can swear and show a manly bearing

D         G                      C     G
Take your turn on watch with the other fellows

G                              C         D     G
While you're searching for the shoals of herring


Verse 6:

G                          C      G
In the stormy seas and the living gales

G                       C            D
Just to earn your daily bread you're daring

D        G                     C     G
From the Dover Straits to the Faroe Islands

G                       C         D     G
As you're following the shoals of herring


Verse 7:

G                        C       G
O I earned my keep and I paid my way

G                          C     D
And I earned the gear that I was wearing

D        G                          C       G
Sailed a million miles, caught ten million fishes

G                     C         D     G
We were sailing after shoals of herring