The Islands

We do not fear the long ships
We've seen long ships before
Men sailed here from the north land
And hauled their boats ashore
They brought with them the music
The language and the law
And burned their boats and stayed here
On the islands

It's midday in the wintertime
Before the moon does pale
The winter songs are very long
The storm winds and the gales
The midnight sun's as distant
As the ca'ing of the whales
Till spring returns again
To paint the islands

The grey seals and the otter
The salmon and the charr
The land bound and the sea trapped
The free birds of the air
The shepherd and the farmer
And all those in their care
Harmonise the music
Of the islands

We never feared the long ships
Till the coming of the "Braer"
The roaring sea in anger
Beat that broken boat ashore
Spilled fuel enough to take that ship
Twice round the world or more
And filled the air with oil
To paint the islands

As if the sea had realized
The tragedy in store
Its waves continued pounding
About a week or more
Most of the crude was washed away
And never came ashore
The sea regained its temper
'Round the islands

Oh, let this be a warning
To those who's faceless greed
Would sail close to the shoreline
To save both fuel and speed
The sea is our protector
Provider of our needs
A jealous guard and keeper
Of the islands