The Ghost of Ontario
Words and Music by
Ian Byrne, Norm Dahlor, Brent Hoad & Steve Phillips
A hundred whales a year at the peak of his career
And in between ten thousand fish
Each week she would appear at the Straight Street pier
Where every good sailor got his wish
There was plenty half again - Captain Cathcart loved his gin
He gave a daily ration to the crew
He danced a blinding jig each time they hit it big
When the lookout would sound thar she blew
And the skipper would give chase as they heaved to the race
In the eye of the beast every man saw his face
The Ghost of Ontario sailed into the night
All the way from Nantucket to Saint John
How he ever found the way into Saint George's Bay
Harpoon and a live one hangin' on
And she dragged 'em all the way to Cape Breton
In town there was a rumor of a whale that dragged a schooner
Halfway back to Ireland in a tick
It was Halloween night but Captain wouldn't b***
He could tell she were no Moby d***
When they gaffed her in the side they were in for a ride
Straight off the Bay of Rocks with no place to hide
I was clingin' to the wreckage, just a few of us were left
The lucky ones among us were better off dead
I swear I heard her creakin' in the wind from the west
But we never saw it comin' up ahead
They say he roams the seas just lookin' for a fight
His ship was lost a thousand miles from land
He haunts Coffin House for liquor every night
A telescope and a pistol in hand
No tide that came his way could ever drown that man's thirst
No hurricanes or icebergs could lift that mighty curse
© 2009 The Elders
Words and Music by
Ian Byrne, Norm Dahlor, Brent Hoad & Steve Phillips
A hundred whales a year at the peak of his career
And in between ten thousand fish
Each week she would appear at the Straight Street pier
Where every good sailor got his wish
There was plenty half again - Captain Cathcart loved his gin
He gave a daily ration to the crew
He danced a blinding jig each time they hit it big
When the lookout would sound thar she blew
And the skipper would give chase as they heaved to the race
In the eye of the beast every man saw his face
The Ghost of Ontario sailed into the night
All the way from Nantucket to Saint John
How he ever found the way into Saint George's Bay
Harpoon and a live one hangin' on
And she dragged 'em all the way to Cape Breton
In town there was a rumor of a whale that dragged a schooner
Halfway back to Ireland in a tick
It was Halloween night but Captain wouldn't b***
He could tell she were no Moby d***
When they gaffed her in the side they were in for a ride
Straight off the Bay of Rocks with no place to hide
I was clingin' to the wreckage, just a few of us were left
The lucky ones among us were better off dead
I swear I heard her creakin' in the wind from the west
But we never saw it comin' up ahead
They say he roams the seas just lookin' for a fight
His ship was lost a thousand miles from land
He haunts Coffin House for liquor every night
A telescope and a pistol in hand
No tide that came his way could ever drown that man's thirst
No hurricanes or icebergs could lift that mighty curse
© 2009 The Elders