Ballad of the Zubenelgenubi
Come all you good people, and listen unto me.
I'll tell you of a tragedy that happened on the sea.
On the eighteenth day of January, as the sun went down,
The Zubenelgenubi sailed out of Newport town.She was newly built and fitted, seaworthy it was said.
Her skipper was Steve Goodwin, from out of Marblehead.
He was confident and able, and he'd fished for twenty years.
Like all brave men upon the sea, he had respect and fear.Aside from Captain Goodwin, the crew did number three.
There was Newport's own Steve Kelly, and a fine young man was he.
Steve Haynes and Candace Stewart, oh they made up the crew.
And they hauled the traps far off the shore, where the pleasures they are few.They headed for Nantucket, on a week to ten day trip.
Once out, the winds did howl, the barometer did dip.
And the winds they lashed about, all off New England's shore.
And after ten days out, oh, we heard not one word more.The tides they did turn, and two storms came and went.
The winds lashed out fury, on destruction they were bent.
While we in our warm houses, oh we waited for some news,
But there came no word or message of that boat or her crew.Finally Goodwin's wife, all on the eighteenth day,
No longer could she stand, no longer could delay.
Called upon the Coast Guard to search the ocean wide.
And North to South, and East to West, oh nothing was there spied.What ever was the fate of that boat or her crew
Will perhaps never be known to the likes of me or you.
But we'll drink now unto them, oh, where ever they may be,
And all brave souls who risk their lives all on the raging sea.
Words and music by Jim McGrath
The fatal voyage began on January 18, 1976.
You can download this song in mp3 format.