Dock Tower Lament

from Lincs to Land and Sea by Jan and Paul Ramsey

/

  • Streaming + Download

    Includes unlimited streaming via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality download in MP3, FLAC and more.
    Purchasable with gift card

      £0.90 GBP  or more

     

  • Buy the Full Digital Album

about

Built in 1857, with over a million bricks, Grimsby’s Dock Tower was modelled on the town hall of Sienna. It served as a hydraulic water tower which was used to open the port’s dock gates until the decline of the fishing industry in the 1970s. The tower remains a landmark visible from over 12 miles away. The song is a lament for the loss of a way of life and all those who had to leave the town to seek employment.

lyrics

It was hard when you left and you all went home
And the docks declined leaving me alone
As I’d grown to know you all and all your ways
I’d heard your moans and I’d felt your pain
As those in power failed once again
How I mourn the days when the fishing haul was king

You had to leave to seek some pay
Knowing the loss and sickening pain
Of parting and losing that belonging
You bade farewell to the port and then
Turned from the beach and the forts again
And left the town and docks you knew so well

Farewell to the Humber’s waters brown
To the pubs and the shops of old Top Town
To the ice house on the banks of the River Freshney
To the sand and the salt and the fishing smacks
To the women finding bargains in their tired old macs
And you wonder why it’s all part of your soul

Where once a hundred boats amassed
A thousand fishing nets were cast
Where a lumper made his fortune in a night time
Where gutting, scaling, hauling down
With the cold north wind howling round
Those days are gone but always on your mind

credits

from Lincs to Land and Sea, released May 22, 2022
Ramsey

license

all rights reserved

tags

about

Jan and Paul Ramsey image

Jan and Paul Ramsey Grimsby, UK

Jan and Paul first began singing together when they were students. Jan plays guitar and sings lead vocals, and Paul plays single reed harmonica and vocals. They are renowned for their close harmonies. Over the years they have performed extensively in the UK and overseas. They have held various residencies in UK folk clubs and are currently residents at Grimsby Folk Club. ... more

contact / help

Contact Jan and Paul Ramsey

Streaming and
Download help

Report this track or account

If you like Jan and Paul Ramsey, you may also like:

Bandcamp Daily  your guide to the world of Bandcamp

On Bandcamp Radio

Featured guests are the golden-voiced Baby Rose and psyche soulsters Brainstory.
listen now