Last Night on the Marie Angelou
The story of a violent shipwreck
Committed and passionate singer songwriter of new songs from traditional inspiration
Berni is a singer songwriter of passionate and committed songs.
Story behind the song
I used to regularly write songs about the sea, but have not done so for some time. Then my freind Roland was playing this interesting riff and I started to improvise a "la la la" melody over it. I stuck it on my mobile to remember it and found it it haunting me for days. Then I woke early one morning and in that half-awake, half asleep state the whole story of the loss of the Marie Angelou came to me and I slipped out of bed armed with a pad and pencil.
Guest artist on this track is Darren the lead guitarist from Coventry based Rock Band "Lost the Plot" - effects and engineering are also by Darren too!
Lyrics
The tide was high; the moon was bright,
We sailed into the setting sun.
None of us aboard that barque
Knew the fate that lay in store.
The company was jolly and
The grog it flowed so free,
On the night the Marie Angelou
Sank beneath the raging sea.
The night was calm; the watch was set,
No warning would there ever be.
A squall came out of nowhere,
Left us fighting for our lives.
None had ever seen a storm
Approach so swift, so cruel.
And few would live to tell the tale,
Before the night was o’er and done.
We tried to strike the sails, at once,
But the mast cracked almost instantly,
The bosun lost his footing
As the rigging tumbled down.
Then, terrified, we saw a sight
That chilled us to the bone.
A typhoon’s spout rose all around
And tossed us in the howling air.
Like driftwood we were hurled aloft,
Spun round and spewed back to the sea,
T’was probably some seconds,
But it seemed eternity.
The Angelou she shattered into
Matchwood as she hit.
Those of us still conscious clung
To all that now remained of it.
As swift as she had come she left
And moonlight lit the placid sea
The survivors clambered, where they could
Upon her shattered boards.
The morning brought us rescue
On the “Alexander Dodd”
Had we seen nature’s cruel face?
Or felt the hand of a vengeful God?
