From the recording The Great Majority
Lyrics
There lived a man in an old port town
And a woman by the sea
They called her Aoife, they called him James
They called themselves a family
James was the captain of a wooden ship
Called her Aoife of the Sea
Because she was strong and knew no doubts
Like the girl he loved so sweet
She said, “Ay ay, my love, come back to me”
James left home, “This time,” he cried
“Will be the last time that I leave”
“When I return, I'll moor the ship”
“A long life it shall be”
His love, she waited, day and night
But days turned into weeks
Her heart grew gray with waning eyes
Staring out to sea
She said, “Ay ay, my love, come back to me”
Far away the thunder cracked
And the ship it reeked of Brandy
“Fare thee well, my love,” as he sealed the jar
And tossed it out to sea
Well the sails they tore and the masts they snapped
James called his last decree
“Save yourselves, but, friends, I'll die”
“with Aoife of the Sea”
She said, “Ay ay, my love, come back to me”
When the storm brought wind and rain to land
Aoife cursed, yelled, and pleaded
Ten young women were all widows now
And their cries had gone unheeded
Aofie's heart cracked and frayed
She said, “The devil's tempting me”
“The water's deep and I'm a weight”
And she swam out to sea
She said, “Ay ay, my love, come back to me”
Aoife died, far from James
Never to be seen
One day the jar was found ashore
A young man began to read
“Dearest Aoife, don't be sad”
“And don't wait up for me”
“For I'll always have a part of you”
“My Aoife of the Sea”