Down by the Dockyard Wall
Words & Music by Shep Wooley
(Recorded by Tom Lewis on 360° All Points of the Compass)
Just a boy of 17, he started out to roam,
To sail across the seven seas so far away from home,
She said that she would wait for him 'til he returned again,
As the anchor chain came up and down he heard this soft
refrain:
Chorus:
Down by the dockyard wall I will wait for you,
As you come across that walk-ashore in your suit of blue,
My love for you will never change - my heart is always true,
Down by the dockyard wall I will wait for you,
Around the world he traveled, beneath the ensign high,
He saw the dainty flying fish, the starless arctic sky,
But in his heart a-pining for his love so far away,
As the bow wave split the cool night air, he heard the lee
wind say:
Home again and the good times came, her arms were open wide,
He held her safely close to him and she walked by his side,
But dark clouds soon filled up the sky, his duty beckoned on,
'Til once again a sad farewell; a young girl stands alone.
That's a long, long time ago, now there's a picture in a
frame
And tears shed every Christmas for the memories still remain.
But if the young man in the photograph could hear what she's
to say
He'd likely join the chorus for she sings it every day.
