Christy Moore - On Morecambe Bay

play with capo on 2
standard tuning

morecambe bay

verse 1 .
Dm
out beyond the street lamp’s
Am A
and the calliope’s roar ,
Dm
past the wrack and samphire ,
Am A
beyond the shore ,
Dm
i have seen walking through the tide
Gm
as the rain cuts through the spray ,
Dm
chinese cockle pickers
Am A
on the sands of morecambe bay

Dm
i stood beside them in the corner shop
Am A
and in the market too
Dm
i should have spoken to them
Am A
told them everything i knew;
Dm
like our mothers told us
Gm
as we went out to play
Dm
never try and race the tide
Am A
on the sands of morecambe bay

Dm
for the tide’s the very devil ,
Gm
it will run you out of breath ,
Dm
race you to the sea shore ,
Am A
chase you to your death ,
Dm
yes the tide’s the very devil
Gm
and the devil has his day
Dm Am A Dm
on the lonley cockle grounds of morecambe bay

Dm
saw them sending money orders home
Am A
there hard earned pay
Dm
tales of crossing borders
Am A
on the road to morecambe bay;
Dm
sleeping in crouded rooms
Gm
on cold hard floors
Dm
sutch dreamless life
Am A
is not worth dieing for

Dm
now i see them in the distance
Am A
laid out in the morning light ,
Dm
migrant workers ,
Am A
twenty – three where drowned last night .
Dm
their final phone calls
Gm
half the world had crossed
Dm
between the river esureys
Am A
they raced the tide and lost . ’

Dm
for the tide’s the very devil ,
Gm
it will run you out of breath ,
Dm
race you to the sea shore ,
Am A
chase you to your death ,
Dm
yes the tide’s the very devil
Gm
and the devil has his day
Dm Am A Dm
on the lonley cockle grounds of morecambe bay

Dm
in fujian and xelang
Am
they mourn their next of kin ,
Dm
gang masters with snake tattoos ,
Am A
call money lones back in
Dm
broken hearted parents
Gm
watch their children stow away ,
Dm
to die among the
Am A Dm
cockle banks of morecome bay

Dm
for the tide’s the very devil ,
Gm
and the devil has his day
Dm Am A Dm
on the lonley cockle grounds of morecambe bay