The Shantyman’s Life

[Verse 1]
Oh, a shantyman leads a wearisome life
Though some think him free from care
It's a wielding of an axe from the morning until night
In the middle of the forest so drear
Lying in the shanty, it's bleak and cold
Where the stormy winds they do blow
And as soon as the morning daylight appears
To the wild woods we must go

[Verse 2]
Transported I am from the haunts of man
On the banks of the Hudson stream
Where the wolves and the owls and the panther's ugly growls
They disturb our nightly dream
At four o'clock our noisy old cook
Sings out it's the breaking of day
And e'er thе morning sun appears
In the broken slumbеrs we do pass
Those cold winter nights away

[Verse 3]
Had we ale, wine or beer, our courage for to cheer
Whilst in those dreary wilds
Or the tippling of a glass and the smiles of the lass
We'd forget old Erin's Isle
But remote from the glass and the smiles of the lass
We lead but a drearisome life
While squatters live at east
Contented for to please
A growling and a scolding wife

[Verse 4]
When the spring it comes in
Double hardships then begin
It's waters are so piercing and cold
Dripping wet were our clothes and our limbs were almost froze
And our pike poles we scarce can hold
Over rock, shores and dams
Give employment to our hands
And our well-banded rafts we steer
And the rapids we do run seems to us 'tis only fun
We avoid all slavish fear

[Verse 5]
Well, the shantyman is the man that I love best
And I never will deny the same
My heart scorns all your city foppish boys
Who think it a disgraceful name
You can boast about our farms
But give the shantyboys charms
For he fairly surpasses them all
Until death it do us part, we'll enjoy each other's hearts
Let our riches be great or small