Great Lakes Song
by Pat Dailey and Shel Silverstein

The Great Lakes are a diamond
on the hand of North America
Brightly shining jewel
on the friendship bordering
Freshwater highway
coming down from Canada
All around the coastline,
can't you hear them sing

chorus:

Sweet mother Michigan,
Father Superior
Coming down from Mackinaw
and Sault St. Marie
Blue water Huron,
Flow down to Lake Erie-O
Fall to Ontario
and run on out to sea

Hearty are the seamen
on the ships that load the iron ore
Sailing out of Thunder Bay
and bound for Buffalo
Hearty are the fishermen
just like their fathers were before
Say they'll bury me at sea
come my time to go

Down below the quarter decks
the old men mend the fishing nets
Up above the windy bridge
the young men curse into the wind
Up and down the Windsor Straits
the wives and mothers lie awake
Pray Our Lady of the Lake
will send them home again

(chorus)

Oh the tales the sailors spin
of mermaids singing in the wind
the sinking of the Bessemer,
the drowning of the crew
Memories of waters crossed
of women won and fortunes lost
Are etched upon their faces
and their faded old tatoos

(chorus)