Lyrics

Bay of Biscay

We caught fish here like our fathers before
Mackerel and megrim and haddock
With our nets full, we’d bring back to shore
What we hauled from the Bay of Biscay

It’s not easy fixing the gear
Dodging the waves and the weather
But we knew that the life we made here
Could never be taken away

And oh oh we lived our life on the ocean
And oh oh we fed ourselves from the sea
But oh oh there was no way to prepare
For the ruin there’d be

That December there arose such a storm
We knew to stay safe in the harbor
But a tanker that we tried to warn
First foundered and then ran aground

We sent boats out and rescued the crew
But nothing could safeguard the vessel
It caught fire and then split in two
And oil made its way toward our town

And oh oh we lived our life on the ocean
And oh oh we fed ourselves from the sea
But oh oh there was no way to prepare
For the ruin there’d be

They attempted to clean up the mess
Skimmed the debris from the water
But the oil killed the fish nonetheless
Our whole way of life has been lost

Three months later the captain was fined
His negligence caused the disaster
But no matter how guilt was assigned
We’re the ones bearing the cost

And oh oh we lived our life on the ocean
And oh oh we fed ourselves from the sea
But oh oh there was no way to prepare
For the ruin there’d be

We caught fish here, in the Bay of Biscay . . .