Folk and Traditional Song Lyrics:
Saint Brendans Voyage

Saint Brendan's Voyage

Saint Brendan's Voyage
(Jimmie Driftwood)

When I was a lad on the Emerald Isle,
I heard many stories both lovely and wild.
About the great dragons and monsters that be,
That swallow the ships as they sail on the sea.
'Tho I was an artist with canvas and paints,
I sailed with Saint Brendan and his jolly saints.
We told the good people, "Goodbye for a while,"
We sailed for Saint Brendan's fair isle, fair isle,
We sailed for Saint Brendan's fair isle.

When we had been sailing for ninety-four days,
We came to a spot where the sea was ablaze.
Those demons from Hades was dancing with glee,
And burning the sailors alive on the sea.
Then Saint Brendan walked on the festering waves,
He threw all the demons right back to their caves,
And all of the saints bore a heavenly smile,
We sailed for Saint Brendan's fair isle, fair isle,
We sailed for Saint Brendan's fair isle.

One night while the brethren were lying asleep,
A great dragon came up from under the deep.
He thundered and lightninged and made a great din;
He awakened Saint Brendan and all of his men.
The dragon came on with his mouth open wide.
We threw in a cross and the great dragon died.
We skinned him and cooked him and feasted awhile,
We sailed...

At last we came onto that beautiful land.
We all went ashore and we walked on the sand.
We took up our longbows and killed a Zebu.
We roasted it up and had hot barbecue.
And after a while we were singing a song,
We noticed the island was moving along.
We ate and we drank and we rode in high style,
We sailed...

Now Brendan said, "Boys, this is much to my wish!
"We ride on the back of the world's biggest fish!
"Hold fast to the rope that is pulling the ship,
"We'll need it some day if this fish takes a dip!"
We sailed every ocean, we sailed every sea,
We sailed every spot that a sailor could be.
In forty-four days we sailed ten million miles,
We sailed...

SBK