the mary ellen carter

she went down last october in a pouring

driving rain

the skipper

he'd been drinking

and the mate

he felt no pain

too close to three mile rock and she was dealt her mortal blow

and the mary ellen carter settled low

there were just us five aboard her when she finally was awash

we'd worked like hell to save her

all heedless of the cost

and the groan she gave as she went down

it caused us to proclaim

that the mary ellen carter would rise again

well

the owners wrote her off; not a nickel would they spend

she gave twenty years of service