A girl upon the shore did ask a favour of the sea;
"Return my blue eyed sailor boy safely back to me
Forgive me if I ask too much, I will not ask for more
But I shall weep until he sleeps safe upon the shore."

As though the sea did hear her plea, a vision did appear
The drifting tip of some wrecked ship came floating ever near
A figure there did cling to it, approaching more and more
As if to ride on some strange tide, safe upon the shore

So give a sailor not your heart
Lest sorrow you do seek;
Let true love not be torn apart
By favours from the sea

My love, she cried as she espied the figure on the spar
His clean white shirt was drenched and torn, he must have floated far
She thought with bliss how she would kiss the lips she did adore
And oh, how sweet to see his feet safe upon the shore

So give a sailor not your heart
Lest sorrow you do seek;
Let true love not be torn apart
By favours from the sea

As she drew near, she felt the fear that something was astray
His mouth was slack and his blue eyes stared blindly at the day
And in a daze, she turned her gaze from the corpse the driftwood bore
And the cold cold sea pushed ruthlessly, safe upon the shore
So give a sailor not your heart
Lest sorrow you do seek;
Let true love not be torn apart
By favours from the sea

Now fishermen, they cast their nets like miners pan for gold
And sailors push off from the docks and pray the gales will hold
The sea just sits silently, but sometimes, she does more
And someone weeps as her love sleeps safe upon the shore