The Mary Ellen Carter

Oh, she went down last October in a pouring, driving rain

The skipper, he'd been drinking, and the mate, he felt no pain

How close to Three Mile Rock, and she was dealt her mortal blow

Then the Mary Ellen Carter settled low

There were just us four aboard her when she finally was awash

We worked like hell to save her, all heedless of the cost

But the groan she made as she went down, it caused us to proclaim

That the Mary Ellen Carter'd rise again

Rise again, rise again!

May her name not be lost to the knowledge of men

All those who loved her best and who were with her till the end

Will make the Mary Ellen Carter rise again!

Well, the comp'ny wrote her off, not a nickel would they spend

She gave 20 years of service, boys, and met a sorry end

But insurance paid the loss to us, said "Let her rest below"

Then they laughed at us, said we had to go

But we talked of her all winter, sometimes days around the clock

She's worth a quarter million afloatin' at the dock

And with every jar that hit the bar we swore we would remain

And make the Mary Ellen Carter rise again

Rise again, rise again!

May her name not be lost to the knowledge of men

All those who loved her best and who were with her 'til the end

Will make the Mary Ellen Carter rise again!

All spring now we've been with her on a barge lent by a friend

Three dives a day in a hard hat suit and twice I've had the bends

Thank God it's only 60 feet and the currents here are slow

Or I'd never have the strength to go below

So we patched her rents, stopped her vents

Dogged hatch and porthole down

Put cables to her fore and aft and girded her around

Tomorrow noon we'll hit the air and then take up the strain

And make the Mary Ellen Carter rise again

Rise again, rise again!

May her name not be lost to the knowledge of men

All those who loved her best and who were with her 'til the end

Will make the Mary Ellen Carter rise again!

Well, we couldn't leave her there, you see, to crumble into scale

She'd saved our lives so many times fightin' through the gale

And the laughing, drunken rats who led her to a sorry grave

Well, they won't be laughing in another day

And to you, for whom adversity has dealt its mortal blow

We're smiling bastards lying to you everywhere you go

Turn to and put out all your strength of arm and heart and brain

And like the Mary Ellen Carter, rise again

Rise again, rise again!

Though your heart it be broke and your life about to end

No matter what you lost, be it a home, a love, a friend

Like the Mary Ellen Carter, rise again!

Rise again, rise again!

Though your heart it be broke and your life about to end

No matter what you lost, be it a home, a love, a friend

Like the Mary Ellen Carter, rise again!