Lyrics

Ensemble
Oom dey ey, oom dey ey, oom dey ey,
Oom dey ey, oom dey ey, oom dey ey,

Jackie White
Gideon was born within sight of the shipyard,
This son of a riveter’s son.
Gideon was raised as the ship grew a shadow,
Her great hull would blot out the light of the sun.

Ensemble
Oom dey ey, oom dey ey, oom dey ey,
Oom dey ey, oom dey ey, oom dey ey,


Jackie
Trapped in the cage of the skeleton ship,
All the workmen suspended like flies…

Jackie & Peggy White
Caught in the flare of acetylene light:
A son and his father as an industry dies.

Company
What else is there for a shipbuilder’s son? (Ooh)
A new ship to complete, new work to be done... (Ooh)

One day he dreamed of a ship in the world,
That would carry his father and he,
To a place they would never be found,
To a place far away from this town.

Father O’Brien
And year after year a new bottle was broken
That launched a great ship out to sea.
He’d stand with his girl near the bend in the river
And the town that he desperately wanted to flee.


Young Gideon
Another ship ready to launch.

Young Meg
It’s a beautiful thing.

Young Gideon
Let’s hope it, Meg. We can get out before it’s too late.

Young Meg
Gideon, we can’t leave Wallsend. We can’t just get on a boat and go –

Young Gideon
But we can. All it takes is the doing of it. And you. And me...

Will ye come with me Meg to the bend in the river,
On a ship that will carry us over the sea?
We’ll canvas the stars and we’ll harness the moonlight,

Young Meg
We’ll rope the south wind to the clouds, you and me,

Young Gideon
Then we’ll cut loose the moorings

Young Gideon & Young Meg
The winds they shall turn,
And we’ll always look fo’wards and never astern.

Young Gideon
We’ll be stowaways,

Young Meg
Pirates!

Young Gideon & Young Meg
Whole fleets we shall burn,
And I’ll/you’ll find us a berth
At the end of the earth,

Young Gideon
I promise.

Young Meg
You promise,

Young Gideon
I promise

Young Gideon & Young Meg
We’ll never return.

Jackie
And then what they call an industrial accident
Left old Joe Fletcher half dead

Jackie & Peggy
They brought Gideon’s father back home in an ambulance.
A brass watch, a cheque, and an invalid’s bed.

Jackie, Father O’Brien, Peggy & Company
What else was there for a shipbuilder’s son, (Ooh)
A new ship to be built, new work to be done... (Ooh)

Men
For this is our work in the welding of steel,
And the bending of plates in the shape of a keel,
In our hands are the tools that we’ll leave to our sons,
The traditions and skills that we hope to pass on,
Til we sail,
Til we sail to the island of souls.

Joe Fletcher
Here, you’ll be needing these. Apprentice positions are hard to come by. You’ll be taking it.

Young Gideon
No – I don’t think so.

Joe
Your place is here, in the yards.

Young Gideon
But that’s your place, not mine.

Joe
Then tell me, how are we going to live? Someone has to put food on the table.

Young Gideon
I just know I can’t stay here. I can’t end up like…

Joe
… Like me? Like my father and his father? That’s what you mean.

Young Gideon
Yes.

Joe
Hell with you then, Gideon Fletcher. If that’s all my life means to you, then get the fuck out of my sight.

Young Gideon
No, Dad –

Company
That night he dreamed of a ship in the world
That would carry his soul to the sea,
To a place he could never be found,
To a place far away from this town,
This Newcastle ship without coals,
He would sail to the island of souls.

Young Gideon
...He’s going to make me go into the yards.

Young Meg
Running away from him won’t help.

Young Gideon
And staying here? Will that help? His life may be over, but mine’s not.

Young Meg
He needs you here, Gideon.

Young Gideon
He needs nothing from me.
It’s now or never, Meg. Come with me – please, I’m begging you.

Young Meg
Gideon… I can’t go.

Young Gideon
And I can’t stay... I’ll be back for ye, I promise.

Young Meg
You say that now.

Young Gideon
I’ll find us a berth
At the end of the earth,
I promise.

Young Meg
You promise,

Young Gideon
I promise.

Company
This dream, this dream of a ship in the world,
That would carry his soul to the sea,
To a place he could never be found,
To a place far away from this town,
A Newcastle ship without coals,
He would sail, he would sail,
He would sail, he would sail,
He would sail to the island of souls.