Jim Payne and Fergus O’Byrne do a great job on this Folk song and many others. It’s hard for me to say but I think I do like this version better than the Dubliners version.
It’s muster, me boys, get you up on the deck,
And take up your stations for hauling the nets,
And mind you pull together all through the long night,
And set in your oilskins until it’s daylight,
With the heave and a haul and a shaking of nets.
It’s when we’re out working we’re living on hope,
The lads in the locker, the boys on the rope,
The fellas in the hold who were hauling the nets,
And shaking the herring out onto the deck,
With the heave and a haul and a shaking of nets.
It’s net after net we pull up from the sea,
With a haul and a shake and a one, two, and three,
The herring are a-piling around our sea boots,
And slithering and sliding down into the chutes,
With the heave and a haul and a shaking of nets.
With the heave and a haul and a shaking of nets.
It’s hour after hour we are hauling away,
All through the long night till the break of the day,
Our captain’s in the wheelhouse he’s on the R T,
And the cook’s in the galley a-brewing the tea,
With the heave an’ a haul an’ a-shaking of nets.
With the heave and a haul and a shaking of nets.
Now the season is over so be on your way,
And head for the home port to sign for your pay;
Your missus will be waiting to welcome you home,
It’s so hard for a wife to be so much alone,
With the heave and a haul and a shaking of nets.
With the heave and a haul and a shaking of nets.
With the heave and a haul and a shaking of nets.